GENEVA– North Korea faced criticism over its nuclear and missile program Thursday as it took the rotating presidency of the U.N.-backed disarmament forum focused on denuclearization efforts.
North Korea took a rotating one-month presidency of the 65-nation Conference on Disarmament, based in Geneva, on May 30, amid rising speculation it could conduct its first nuclear test since 2017.
As Pyongyang’s ambassador, Han Tae-song, opened a new session, Australian Ambassador Amanda Gorely read a joint statement by 48 countries plus the European Union that expressed concerns about North Korea’s nuclear and missile program, calling it a “violation of numerous United Nations Security Council resolutions.”
Among the members were South Korea, the United States and Japan, which jointly condemned Pyongyang’s recent intercontinental ballistic missile launches and urged it to refrain from further provocations, including a nuclear test.
It is the first time in 11 years that the North took the rotating presidency at the U.N. disarmament body, which is largely a symbolic and administrative post. China and Russia, North Korea’s close allies, supported its presidency.
Source: Yonhap News Agency