Statement by the Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations, Ambassador Ronaldo Costa Filho, at the UNSC Open Briefing on the DPRK - February 20th, 2023

Thank you Madam President,

At the outset, allow me to thank Assistant-Secretary-General Khaled Khiari for his briefing and for his tireless work in this file.

Madam President,

Brazil condemns, in the strongest terms, the launch of an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile by the DPRK on Saturday morning. Not only was the test in violation of relevant Security Council resolutions, it also posed unacceptable risks to maritime and air safety due to the lack of appropriate warnings. Moreover, any miscalculation or malfunction could have carried lethal consequences for the people in Japan, including thee significant Brazilian community that lives in that country.

 Madam President,

We are gravely concerned by the situation on the Peninsula. The security situation has deteriorated for the past several years, but  the last year has been of special concern. We have witnessed a spiral of distrust and a negative action-reaction cycle. This has greatly increased the risk of  escalation and made all countries in the region less safe.

It is no exaggeration to say that we may be at the period of greatest risk since 2017. Then, as now, the DPRK was rapidly advancing its missile programs and testing its first ICBMs. Then, as now, military shows of force and escalating rhetoric raised the risk of unforeseen consequences and made all of us less safe. How did we interrupt that negative cycle then?

Madam President,

We stepped back from the brink by acting on two fronts: first, we showed Council unity. As has been recalled here before, we were able to pass resolutions reinforcing the Council’s authority and condemning actions that violated international law. Secondly, there were diplomatic efforts driven and supported by various countries. Brazil was a vocal supporter of that process. We believe that a new process of engagement is at least as urgent now as it was at the end of 2017.

Only by acting on those two fronts were we able to defuse a cycle of escalation and interrupt one of the most dangerous periods in the history of this file. Once again, we must be able to condemn unlawful action and we must also be able support iniciatives that could lead to the resolution of this file. A sustained, comprehensive political remains the best chance of delivering on our goals of a Peninsula that is peaceful, stable and free of nuclear weapons. 

Starting a new process is never easy. All sides will need to exercise self-restraint and restraint involves costs. Yet the costs of not engaging are unacceptably higher and they grow higher by the day. Doing nothing, or believing that pressure alone can solve this problem, means resigning ourselves to a spiral of nuclear escalation with truly global implications. I urge that all members in this Council find the political will for us to, once again, walk back from the brink. 

I thank you.