Statement by the Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations, Ambassador Sérgio França Danese, on Non-proliferation/Democratic People's Republic of Korea - August 25th, 2023

Madam President,

I thank Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari for his briefing.

Brazil joins the international community in condemning the use of ballistic missile technology in the launch of a satellite launch vehicle by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea on 23 August.

While fully recognizing the right of all countries to pursue peaceful space programmes, Brazil stresses the imperative for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to strictly comply with all of its obligations under international law and Security Council resolutions. As we noted in June, the Chollima-1 rocket uses engines similar to those used in the liquid-fuelled intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Hwasong-15. That constitutes a clear violation of resolution 2094 (2013), which prohibits the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea from conducting “any further launches that use ballistic missile technology”.

Brazil will continue to make efforts to promote a meaningful engagement that can contribute to lowering tensions and reducing the risks of escalation. At the same time, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, I reiterate, must comply with all its international obligations, just as any State abiding by international law in general and the Charter of the United Nations specifically.

We urge all parties to exercise restraint when responding to space launches and stress that meaningful engagement, not isolation, remains our best path towards a Korean peninsula that is peaceful, stable and free of nuclear weapons.

Thank you.