Susan E. Rice UN Resolution 1874 North Korea VIDEO

Unitrd Nations Media Stakeout: Informal comments to the Media by the Permanent Representative of the United States of America, H.E. Ms. Susan E. Rice, in connection with Non-proliferation, Democratic People's Republic of Korea. FULL STREAMING VIDEO [Webcast: Archived Video - 9 minutes ]

Explanation of Vote by Ambassador Rosemary DiCarlo, U.S. Alternate Representative for Special Political Affairs on Security Council Resolution 1874 on North Korea, June 12, 2009

Thank you, Mr. President.

The United States welcomes the unanimous adoption of Resolution 1874. This resolution provides a strong and united international response to North Korea’s test of a nuclear device.

The message of this resolution is clear: North Korea’s behavior is unacceptable to the international community, and the international community is determined to respond. North Korea should return without conditions to a process of peaceful dialogue. It should honor its previous commitments to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. It should shun provocation and proliferation. But for now, its choices have led it to face markedly stronger sanctions from the international community.

This resolution condemns North Korea’s nuclear test in the strongest terms. It strengthens and enhances sanctions on North Korea in five critically important areas: by imposing a total embargo on arms exports from North Korea and significantly expanding the ban on arms imports; by creating a wholly new framework for states to cooperate in the inspection of ships and aircraft suspected to be carrying weapons of mass destruction or other banned goods; by calling on states and international financial institutions to disrupt the flow of funds that could support North Korea’s missile, nuclear, or proliferation activities; by committing to designate for targeted sanctions additional goods, entities, and individuals involved in North Korea’s illicit behavior; and, finally, by strengthening the mechanisms to monitor and tighten the implementation of this toughened new sanctions regime. These measures are innovative, they are robust, and they are unprecedented.

Mr. President, North Korea chose a path of provocation. As President Obama has said, actions must have consequences. Resolution 1874 has seen to it that they do. This resolution will give us new tools to impair North Korea’s ability to proliferate and threaten international stability. We are particularly grateful to our colleagues on the Council, who have come together to help adopt this resolution; we thank them for their tremendous hard work in this process, for their good effort, and for their goodwill.

Above all, Mr. President, Resolution 1874 reflects the resolve of the international community and the Security Council, which has spoken with one voice. The United States stands firmly behind these provisions and is committing to ensuring its implementation.

Thank you, Mr. President.

USUN PRESS RELEASE # 124(09) June 12, 2009 AS DELIVERED. Office of Press and Public Diplomacy. United States Mission to the United Nations. 140 East 45th Street. New York, N.Y. 10017