Criticism of North Korea Mounts Ahead of 11th NPT Review Conference
Key NPT Parties Express Concern Over North Korea’s Non-Proliferation Defiance
Vienna, Austria – As preparation for the upcoming 11th Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference in 2026 begins, criticism against North Korea’s nuclear and missile development remains a heated topic of discussion among key NPT parties. During the first general discussion of the 1st Preparatory Committee, held on July 31st in Vienna, Germany, and South Korea raised their concerns over North Korea’s defiance of the international non-proliferation regime. The European Union further emphasized its refusal to recognize North Korea as a nuclear power.
Germany Calls for Unity and Determination
In his statement, Gotz Schmidt-Bremb, Germany’s ambassador to international organizations, stressed the significance of North Korea’s continued development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles as a challenge to international non-proliferation efforts. Schmidt-Bremb urged the international community to respond with unity and determination, emphasizing the need for North Korea to undertake complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization in order to regain trust, expect sanctions relief, and contribute to a more stable regional environment.
South Korea Points Out Threat to Peace and Security
Ambassador Ham Sang-wook, South Korea’s representative to Austria, highlighted the direct threat posed by North Korea’s nuclear development to both the peace and security of the international community and the credibility of the NPT. Ham called on North Korea to cease all provocations and respond positively to South Korea’s Audacious Initiative, emphasizing the importance of a united and strong message urging North Korea to choose the right path.
European Union Rejects North Korea’s Nuclear Power Status
EU Special Representative for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, Maiolin Van Dillen, reiterated the EU’s stance that North Korea must completely and verifiably abandon all nuclear weapons, other weapons of mass destruction, ballistic missile programs, and existing nuclear programs. Van Dillen emphasized the need for North Korea to adhere to its obligations under UN Security Council resolutions without delay, asserting that North Korea cannot and will not be recognized as a nuclear weapons state or receive any special status under the NPT.
International Condemnation of North Korea’s Missile Provocations
European countries, including Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, and Norway, strongly condemned North Korea’s recent missile provocations. They urged North Korea to dismantle its nuclear and missile programs in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner. The focus is now on North Korea’s compliance with UN Security Council resolutions and meaningful participation in diplomatic processes.
IAEA Highlights North Korea’s Continued Nuclear Program
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expressed its concern over signs of continued operation and increased construction work at North Korea’s Yongbyon nuclear facility. The IAEA stressed that North Korea’s nuclear program is a clear violation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions and urged its immediate cessation.
Preparatory Meeting Underway for NPT Review Conference
The 1st Preparatory Committee meeting, scheduled to run until August 11th, focuses on nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation, and the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The meeting will include detailed discussions, keynote speeches, and the adoption of a report summarizing the outcomes. North Korea will also be a topic of discussion in a side event hosted jointly by South Korea and France, titled “Response to North Korea’s Challenge to the Global Nuclear Non-Proliferation Regime.”
About the NPT Review Conference
The NPT Review Conference, held every five years, gathers nuclear weapon states and non-nuclear weapon states to evaluate the treaty’s implementation. The conference operates on a unanimous basis, requiring the approval of all 191 member states for the adoption of its final declaration.
As preparations intensify for the 11th NPT Review Conference, global attention remains focused on North Korea’s defiance of non-proliferation efforts and the international community’s collective efforts to secure denuclearization and lasting peace.
By Cho Eun-jung. Reporting for VOA News.
Criticism of North Korea continued as the first meeting was held in preparation for the 11th Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference scheduled for 2026. Key NPT parties pointed out that North Korea defies the international non-proliferation regime with its nuclear and missile development. Reporter Jo Eun-jeong reports.
During the first general discussion of the 1st Preparatory Committee for the 11th Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference held in Vienna, Austria on the 31st, Germany said, “North Korea’s continued development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles is a challenge significant to international non-proliferation efforts.” “We must respond with unity and determination,” he said.
[녹취: 슈미트-브렘 대사] “The continued development of its nuclear weapons program and ballistic missile arsenal has become a major challenge to global non-proliferation efforts and must be met with unity and determination. Only by embarking on a path towards complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization can North Korea regain the trust of the international community, expect sanctions relief and contribute to a more stable and secure regional environment. “
“I am very concerned about North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons over the last few years,” said Gotz Schmidt-Bremb, Germany’s ambassador to international organizations in Vienna.
“Only when North Korea embarks on the path towards complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization can it restore the trust of the international community, expect sanctions relief, and contribute to a more stable and secure regional environment,” he said.
South Korean Ambassador to Austria Ham Sang-wook pointed out that North Korea’s nuclear development “not only poses a direct threat to the peace and security of the international community, but also seriously undermines the credibility of the international non-proliferation regime, including the NPT. .”
[녹취: 함 대사] “DPRK is the only country that has openly abused the NPT regime and developed nuclear weapons. This is not only a direct threat to peace and security but also undermines the credibility of the international non-proliferation regime including the NPT. We urge the DPRK to stop all kinds of provocations, and respond positively to our Audacious Initiative. What we need now is a unified, strong and unequivocal message urging the DPRK to choose the right path. “
Ambassador Ham said, “North Korea is the only country that has abused the NPT system and openly developed nuclear weapons,” and “it is one of the main non-proliferation issues.”
“We urge North Korea to stop all kinds of provocations and respond positively to South Korea’s ‘Bold Initiative’,” he said.
In particular, the European Union has made it clear that it cannot recognize North Korea as a nuclear power.
Maiolin Van Dillen, EU Special Representative for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, said, “North Korea has completely, verifiably and irreversibly given up all nuclear and weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programmes, as well as its existing nuclear programs, and have ended. all related activities of the United Nations Security Council. We reiterate the need to adhere to the obligations under the decision immediately.”
[녹취: 판 딜렌 특별대표] “The EU reiterates that the DPRK must immediately comply with its obligations under UN Security Council resolutions by abandoning all its nuclear weapons, other weapons of mass destruction, ballistic missile programs and existing nuclear programmes, in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner and abandon each. related activities. The DPRK cannot and will not have nuclear weapon state status under the NPT or any other special status for that matter.”
“North Korea cannot and will never have the status of a nuclear weapons state or any other special status under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT),” he said.
In addition, European countries strongly condemned North Korea’s recent missile provocations and urged the dismantling of its nuclear and missile programs.
Finland “strongly condemns North Korea’s recent missile test, which is in clear violation of several UN Security Council resolutions.” revealed.
In a statement on behalf of the three Baltic states, including Estonia and Latvia, Lithuania said, “North Korea continues to pursue illegal weapons systems, as evidenced by its unprecedented number of ballistic missile tests, including inter-continental ballistic missiles continental, and its intention to prepare for another nuclear test. doing it,” he noted.
“We urge North Korea to abide by the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, give up all existing ballistic missiles and nuclear programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner and participate in the diplomatic process,” he said.
Sweden and Norway also urged North Korea to dismantle its CVID weapons program, saying they were deeply concerned about North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile development.
US President Adam Sheinman, special representative for nuclear non-proliferation, did not mention North Korea in his speech at the meeting.
Meanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it continues to hold operating conditions at North Korea’s Yongbyon nuclear facility.
“Over the past few months, the IAEA has seen signs that the Yongbyon nuclear facility continues to operate and that construction work at the facility has increased significantly,” said Jacek Bylica, IAEA chief of cabinet.
[녹취: 벨리차 비서실장] “In recent months, the Agency has seen signs of continued operation of nuclear facilities, and a significant increase in construction work at the Yongbyon site. The continuation of the DPRK’s nuclear program is in clear violation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions and is deeply regrettable.”
“North Korea’s continuation of its nuclear program is clearly in violation of UN Security Council resolutions, and is deeply regrettable,” he said.
“North Korea’s nuclear program has expanded significantly over the past 14 years since the IAEA inspectors left North Korea,” said the IAEA representative. We have strengthened our readiness to carry out surveillance activities.”
The preparatory meeting, which will last until August 11, will hear keynote speeches from representatives of the parties involved in general discussions for two days after the opening, followed by detailed discussions on nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation, and the peaceful use of nuclear. force.
In addition, a report summarizing the results of the preparatory meeting is discussed and adopted.
On the 2nd, the issue of North Korea will be treated as one of the side events.
Entitled ‘Response to North Korea’s Challenge to the Global Nuclear Non-Proliferation Regime’, the event is being held jointly by South Korea and France.
Before the 11th Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference to be held in 2026, three preparatory meetings have been scheduled to take place.
The 10th NPT Review Conference, held for four weeks in August last year at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA, ended without adopting a final statement due to opposition from Russia.
The revised draft of the final statement, which was not adopted at the time, included “strong support for the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization (CVID) of the Korean Peninsula” in relation to North Korea’s nuclear program.
The NPT Review Conference operates on a unanimous basis, so all 191 member states must vote to adopt the final declaration.
The NPT Review Conference is an international conference held every five years by nuclear weapon states and non-nuclear weapon states to review the implementation of the treaty.
This is Cho Eun-jung from VOA News.
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