UNSC/DPRK: COUNCIL MEMBERS CONDEMN TEST, PREPARE

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 001932 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/08/2016 TAGS: PREL KNNP PARM UNSC KN SUBJECT: UNSC/DPRK: COUNCIL MEMBERS CONDEMN TEST, PREPARE TO DISCUSS DRAFT RESOLUTION REF: A. STATE 169266 ¶B. STATE 168337 Classified By: Ambassador John R. Bolton, Permanent Representative, for reasons 1.4 b,d. ¶1. (C) Summary. The Security Council met on the morning of October 9 to discuss the DPRK's announced test of a nuclear weapon. It took less than thirty minutes for each of the Council's fifteen members to condemn, without reservation, the DPRK's actions. Ambassador Bolton introduced elements of a potential Chapter VII Resolution and called for Council experts to meet the same day to discuss. The majority of Council members endorsed the idea of a resolution, with a number explicitly calling for action under Chapter VII. The Russians and Chinese, while condemning the DPRK's actions, were not explicit in how they would like to see the Council respond. End Summary. U.S. says Chapter VII response needed -------------- ¶2. (C) The Security Council discussed the DPRK's announced test of a nuclear weapon in closed consultations on the morning of Monday, October 9. Ambassador Bolton said that the DPRK had apparently tested a nuclear weapon in "open defiance" of the Council's unanimous adoption of a Presidential Statement on October 6. He noted that President Bush had just delivered a public statement condemning the DPRK's actions, and he circulated to Council members the text of the President's statement. Bolton argued that the Council needed to react "swiftly and strongly" to this "highly provocative act" through the adoption of a resolution under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. ¶3. (C) Ambassador Bolton suggested that Council experts convene later in the day to discuss the text of a resolution, noting that the U.S. had shared the elements of a possible resolution with each Security Council member in capitals last week (reftels). In order to facilitate swift action by the Council, Ambassador Bolton read through the proposed elements again. ¶4. (C) Before closing, Ambassador Bolton noted to the Council that the United States is a treaty ally of South Korea and Japan, and would therefore consider an attack on either of our allies "as if it were an attack on the U.S." Other P5 Comments -------------- ¶5. (C) Chinese PR Wang said that China was "firmly opposed" to the DPRK's nuclear test, calling it a "serious incident." He called for a "firm, constructive, but prudent" reaction from the Council. China would, he said, continue to work for a peaceful solution to the DPRK's nuclear program by all diplomatic means. ¶6. (C) UK PR Jones Parry called for a "robust, firm" Council response: "Chapter VII is in order." The Council, through the Presidential Statement issued on Friday, had already made clear that a nuclear test would constitute a threat to international peace and security. The Council's response, he said, should be also support a process to address the DPRK's nuclear program, in particular the Six Party Talks. ¶7. (C) French PR de La Sabliere called on the Security Council to meet its responsibilities and work quickly on a strong resolution. He expressed readiness to work on the basis of the proposals put forward by Ambassador Bolton, working under Chapter VII in order to "build on Resolution 1695." De La Sabliere also stressed the importance of the resumption of the Six Party Talks. ¶8. (C) Russian PR Churkin said that Russian "national technical means" had detected an underground nuclear test in North Korea of between five and fifteen kilotons. He stressed the importance of the DPRK returning to the NPT and said that the Council needed to act "with cool heads." Russia, he said, was prepared to engage in the Council on the proper response. E-10 offers strong condemnation -------------- ¶9. (C) Each of the ten elected members of the Council explicitly condemned the DPRK's actions and called for the Council to respond. Denmark, Argentina, Slovakia, Japan, and Tanzania each explicitly welcomed the elements proposed by Ambassador Bolton. Argentina noted that the DPRK's actions presented a threat not only to neighboring states, but also to the entire international community. ¶10. (C) Japanese PR Oshima said that it was a "sad fact" that the DPRK's test has forced the world into "a more dangerous nuclear age." The DPRK's ballistic missile capabilities, he said, combined with their nuclear program have "dramatically changed the security environment" in North-East Asia. And, he warned, this "new nuclear age" in the region threatened to spread to other parts of the world if the Security Council did not act resolutely to address the DPRK's actions. BOLTON