The United Nations Security Council holds an emergency meeting on the missile launch of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), at the UN headquarters in New York Aug. 29, 2017. The UN Security Council on Tuesday strongly condemned the latest missile launch by the DPRK, demanding it immediately cease such actions. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)
The UN Security Council on Tuesday strongly condemned Monday's missile launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) as well as several launches on Friday, demanding the country immediately cease such "outrageous actions."
"The Security Council expresses its grave concern that the DPRK is, by conducting such a launch over Japan as well as its recent actions and public statements, deliberately undermining regional peace and stability and has caused grave security concerns around the world," said the Security Council in a president's statement, which was released after closed-door consultations by council members.
The Security Council stressed that those DPRK actions are not just a threat to the region, but to all UN member states, demanding the country comply with relevant Security Council resolutions and not conduct any further launches using ballistic missile technology.
It also requested that the DPRK should abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs in a "complete, verifiable and irreversible manner" and not conduct any future nuclear tests or any further provocation.
The council called on all UN member states to "strictly, fully and expeditiously" implement all relevant Security Council resolutions concerning the DPRK, reiterating the importance of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia at large.
The council also expressed its commitment to a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution to the situation and welcomed efforts to facilitate a peaceful and comprehensive answer through dialogue.
Chinese envoy Liu Jieyi told the same meeting that China is opposed to the DPRK's launches using ballistic missile technology. He called on Pyongyang to comply with relevant Security Council resolutions and urged all parties concerned to exercise restraint and to avoid "mutually provocative actions" that might exacerbate regional tension.
All relevant parties should implement the provisions of resolutions "in a comprehensive integrated manner" and avoid any rhetoric or action that might raise tension on the Korean Peninsula, and create conditions for the resumption of dialogue, Liu said.
He also said the suspension-for-suspension proposal and dual-track approach put forward by China is a realistic and feasible formula for a proper settlement of the issue, asking the relevant parties for due consideration and positive responses.
The idea of dual approaches involves parallel efforts to move forward both de-nuclearization and the establishment of a peaceful mechanism on the peninsula; the initiative of suspension-for-suspension calls for the DPRK to suspend its nuclear and missile activities and for the United States and South Korea to suspend their large-scale war games.
After the readout of the council president's statement, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said all 15 Security Council members "have spoken in unison."
Vassily Nebenzia, the Russian envoy to the United Nations, said Pyongyang must cease its program and return to the international non-proliferation regime and put its facilities under the review of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Addressing the issue through sanctions alone was not productive. The Security Council must seek a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution, he said.
