Press Releases
Open Briefing of the United Nations Security Council on North Korea
May 1, 2026
In the morning of April 30 (local time), an open briefing of the UN Security Council was convened in New York, United States, under the agenda item “Non-Proliferation/DPRK,” at the request of Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Latvia, Bahrain and the Republic of Korea, marking two years since the termination of the activities of the Panel of Experts under the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea.
- At the meeting, a number of Security Council members and Japan and the ROK reiterated their deep regret over the termination of the activities of the Panel of Experts under the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea as a result of the veto by Russia. They further expressed deep concern over the development of North Korea’s nuclear and missile development, and its violations and circumventions of the UN Security Council resolutions including by vessels suspected of being associated to North Korea, and undersocred the need to ensure the full implementation of Security Council resolutions related to North Korea.
- Japan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador YAMAZAKI Kazuyuki, delivered a statement in which he once again expressed deep regret over the termination of the activities of the Panel of Experts under the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea. He pointed out that the advancement of North Korea’s nuclear and missile capabilities including through its repeated ballistic missile launches poses a threat not only to the region, but also to the international non-proliferation regime, and that Member States have to address its malicious cyber activities, which fund its unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile programs. He also pointed out that military cooperation between Russia and North Korea lies behind these developments, and emphasized the importance of taking action to ensure implementation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. In this context, he stated that Japan would continue to cooperate with Member States, including through initiatives such as the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT). In closing, referring to the ongoing Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), he pointed out that North Korea’s nuclear and missile development is challenging the integrity and credibility of the NPT.
