IAEA Board of Governors Meeting, Agenda Item 6c: Nuclear Verification – Application of Safeguards in the DPRK

U.S. statement as delivered by Ambassador Jackie Wolcott
Vienna, Austria

Thank you, Madam Chair.

The United States remains ready to continue negotiations with the DPRK to discuss realizing the commitments President Trump and Chairman Kim made at their 2018 summit in Singapore, including the complete denuclearization of the DPRK. We seek a diplomatic path to eliminate the unacceptable threat to international peace and security posed by the DPRK’s weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs. However, despite our attempts to engage the DPRK in working-level negotiations, the DPRK has not demonstrated a sincere desire to enter into such negotiations. We continue to take steps to ensure that the window for diplomacy remains open.

At last year’s IAEA General Conference, Member States resoundingly condemned the DPRK’s continued development of its unlawful nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, and urged the DPRK to return to the NPT and IAEA safeguards. We appreciate the Agency’s continued work in monitoring the DPRK’s nuclear program and encourage the new Director General to remain seized of the matter. We believe that the IAEA will have an important role to play in monitoring and verification of any denuclearization agreement with the DPRK, and support the IAEA’s efforts to plan and maintain readiness for a potential resumption of activities in the DPRK.

Although we stand ready to engage the DPRK in constructive negotiations, there can be no wavering from our collective demand that the DPRK fully comply with its international obligations and commitments. Relevant UN Security Council resolutions that apply to the DPRK remain in full effect, and UN Member States are bound by the obligations they impose. We share the international community’s concern about the DPRK’s continued violations of those UN Security Council resolutions, and urge all countries to redouble efforts to fully enforce UN sanctions and take action to prevent sanctions evasion.

We are united in calling on the DPRK to cease all provocations, abide by its obligations under relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and to resume negotiations with the United States to achieve complete denuclearization. We regret that the DPRK has failed to take concrete steps toward these goals. The only way for the DPRK to achieve the security and prosperity that it seeks is by abandoning its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs.

Thank you, Madam Chair.