1. At the 9th Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, representatives from states parties to the CTBT, including ministers and vice ministers, adopted a Final Declaration, which calls on eight states whose ratifications are required for entry into force of the CTBT, including North Korea, to sign and ratify the Treaty as soon as possible, and urges North Korea not to conduct any further nuclear tests.

2. The Final Declaration contains stronger statements on North Korea’s nuclear weapons programs as below, compared to the Declaration adopted at the last Conference in 2013.

o The representatives strongly deplore the three nuclear tests conducted by North Korea; express serious concern over North Korea’s nuclear program, which undermines the global non-proliferation regime; urge North Korea not to conduct any further nuclear tests and to fully comply with all relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and the 19 September 2005 Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks; urge North Korea to take concrete steps to honour its relevant commitments and obligations, including abandoning all its nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs and immediately ceasing all related activities; believe that North Korea’s nuclear tests highlight the urgent need for the early entry into force of the CTBT; and appreciate the effectiveness of the CTBT verification regime demonstrated in response to the nuclear tests by North Korea.

3. The Final Declaration to Facilitate the Entry into Force of the CTBT contains strong statements on the North Korean nuclear issue, following another resolution on the North Korean nuclear issue, adopted at the IAEA General Conference in mid September. This is seen as having delivered the international community’s stern warning message that urges North Korea not to conduct any further nuclear tests.

o Amid North Korea’s recent threats to launch a missile and conduct a nuclear test in October, states parties to the CTBT delivered a strong message to North Korea at an appropriate time.

4. Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs Shin Dong-ik attended the Conference as the head of the ROK delegation. Deputy Minister Shin urged eight states whose ratifications are required for entry into force of the CTBT, including North Korea, to sign and ratify the Treaty as soon as possible, and explained the ROK’s contributions to achieve the CTBT’s early entry into force and strengthen the non-proliferation regime, including hosting the third meeting of the CTBT Group of Eminent Persons (GEM) in Seoul and strengthening the CTBT International Monitoring System (IMS) through expansion of a seismological observatory in Wonju. The Deputy Minister also delivered a keynote speech, in which he strongly urged North Korea not to conduct any further nuclear tests and fulfill its denuclearization obligations.

o The ROK delegation actively participated in negotiations on the text of the Final Declaration, and contributed to including strong statements on the North Korean nuclear issue in the Declaration, in close cooperation with allies.


*unofficial translation