CONDEMNATION OF DPRK MISSILE LAUNCHES AT IMO

UNCLAS LONDON 005476 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR IO/T LAURENCE TOBEY AND ISN CHRISTOPHER HERRINGTON, USCG FOR JEREMY CAIRL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EWWT PHSA PARM MOPS MCAP KN KS JA UK IMO SUBJECT: CONDEMNATION OF DPRK MISSILE LAUNCHES AT IMO CONFERENCE REF: A. LONDON 5026 ¶B. STATE 117380 ¶1. Summary. USDel delivered the statement contained in Ref A at the July 19 meeting of the IMO NAV 52 conference. USDel's statement followed the Japanese intervention which condemned the DPRK missile launches and was joined by statements of concern from the Russian Federation, HMG, France, Italy, Korea, and Finland. The DPRK representative responded in an invective-filled discourse quoting heavily from a prepared North Korean Foreign Ministry statement condemning the UNSC and the USG. End Summary. ¶2. The Japanese delegation began the Other Business section of NAV 52 by calling attention to the IMO Assembly's resolution A 706(17) and MSC Circular 893 which recommends all member States give prior notice of operations which might endanger safety of navigation, expressly including missile launches, and noted that North Korea failed to give such notice prior to its missile launches earlier this month. The Japanese delegation recalled that the DPRK did not provide notification when it undertook similar tests in 1998. The Japanese intervention stated that many fishing vessels were threatened and the launches were a danger to marine navigation. The Japanese delegation concluded by calling for consideration by the Maritime Safety Committee at its next meeting. ¶3. The USdel then delivered the remarks contained in Ref A. The U.S. was followed by the Russian Federation which expressed "serious concern" over the danger to shipping posed by the DPRK missile launches. Russia also urged IMO action on the matter while expressing support for efforts to achieve a peaceful conclusion to this situation. HMG largely echoed the statements of the U.S. and Japanese delegations while proposing the NAV 52 affirm its support for IMO resolution A706(17) and call on all nations to respect it. France, Italy, Korea and Finland also expressed concern over DPRK's disregard for IMO resolutions and the threat to maritime navigation posed by these unannounced missile launches. ¶4. The DPRK delegation responded with a statement accusing Japan of slander and stating its right to launch missiles is a sovereign matter not to be discussed in international fora. The delegation went on to claim that the DPRK, when undertaking sovereign action, is not bound by international law or multilateral talks. The DPRK's representative then quoted from a statement by the DPRK's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemning the UNSC resolution and stating the U.S. created a dangerous situation on the Korean peninsula. The NAV 52 chairman, Kees Polderman of the Netherlands, interrupted and ended the North Korean intervention by reminding the DPRK delegation that NAV 52 was a forum for safety of navigation and not the appropriate venue to express political opinions on UNSC resolutions. ¶5. At the end of the Other Business section NAV 52 agreed with HMG's proposal and affirmed its support for IMO resolution A706(17) and the need for nations to respect it. ¶6. This cable was cleared by the NAV 52 delegation. Visit London's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/london/index. cfm Tuttle