Nations protest as North Korea takes presidency of Conference on Disarmament

By Peter Kenny

GENEVA (AA) - Australia on Thursday led a protest of more than 40 nations against North Korea as when Pyongyang's UN representative assumed the presidency of the Conference on Disarmament.

North Korea assumed the rotating presidency of the 65-nation Conference on Disarmament, and its ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Han Tae-song, opened the session speaking of the "honor and privilege" of having the presidency.

"My delegation takes the role of the presidency seriously," he said explaining this was the second time for North Korea to hold the presidency.

"And I assure you of our readiness to work closely with all members of the conference in an open, transparent, inclusive manner and to make constructive contributions to make tangible progress in this year," he added.

The Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament calls itself "the single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum of the international community" and plays a crucial role in nuclear disarmament efforts.

After Pyongyang's envoy opened the session at the Palais des Nations, Australia's Ambassador Amanda Gorely read a joint statement by 48 countries, including the EU, Japan, South Korea, the US, Türkiye, and other nations.

- ‘Reckless actions'

The statement expressed concerns over North Korea's "reckless actions, which continue to seriously undermine the very value" of the conference.

"We are deeply concerned about the DPRK's (North Korea's) continued advancement of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile capabilities, including reports that it is preparing to conduct its seventh nuclear test," said the Australian ambassador.

"Since the beginning of 2022, the DPRK has conducted an unprecedented series of missile tests, including launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles, alleged hypersonic weapons ballistic missiles with the stated intent for the operation of tactical nuclear weapons, and at least one submarine-launched ballistic missile," Gorely said.

Gorely urged North Korea to cease its “destabilizing actions” and comply with its international obligations under relevant UN Security Council resolutions to abandon nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs.

Meanwhile, a Russian official said: "We look forward to a significant contribution by the North Korean presidency, to the work of the conference and in terms of thoughtful cooperation with all state parties.

"Our delegation believes that right now, this is one of the most important times for the work of our conference."