Discorso pronunciato dall’Ambasciatore Sebastiano Cardi, Rappresentante Permanente dell’Italia presso le Nazioni Unite, ai Briefings in Consiglio di Sicurezza dei Presidenti degli Organi Sussidiari del Consiglio di Sicurezza —
Mr. President,
I welcome this opportunity, as an outgoing Security Council member, to give a briefing on the work I have done in leading a subsidiary body of the Council. I will try to draw some conclusions from my activity as Chair of the 1718 Committee, for the implementation of sanctions imposed on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). I will also briefly refer to my experience as Facilitator for the implementation of UNSC resolution 2231, which endorses the Iranian nuclear deal.
I would like to touch upon three main concepts that inspired our action this year: effectiveness, unity and transparency. Acting as Chairman and Facilitator, our main responsibility, I felt, was to lead the work of the 1718 Committee and the 2231 Format by making a constant effort to achieve consensus. Not only because of the decision-making rules that apply to all subsidiary bodies, but also for the importance we have always attached to the principle of Council unity when taking action.
A Council that can act united at the time of adoption and throughout the implementation of its resolutions is a stronger Council. As Chairs of subsidiary bodies, we are tasked to provide crucial inputs for the second part of the equation – implementation. The wide articulation of the DPRK sanctions regime and the quick succession of new measures in recent months required the Committee to make a special effort to assist UN Member States and international organizations. Likewise, the innovative set of provisions established by resolution 2231 needed to be better understood and assimilated in their second year of life. In these efforts, I could always count on the constructive cooperation of other Council members, and today I wish to thank them for their continued support.
While unity is essential for the Council to deliver effectively, transparency is key to fostering a better understanding – and ultimately a better implementation – of Council resolutions. This is where I have decided to invest more time and resources for the benefit of the UN membership as a whole. By organizing two open briefings and five regional meetings in 2017, we have tried to shed light on the evolving DPRK sanctions regime, while at the same time providing Member States with a platform to raise specific issues and establish a dialogue to discuss implementation challenges.
I have received sincere words of appreciation for these outreach initiatives and, therefore, I wish to encourage future Chairs to follow this path. Increased efforts can be made to build a more solid relationship and a more proactive engagement of Member States with the Council in working together on implementation. Let me also recall the July open briefing on resolution 2231, with a particular focus on the procurement channel, a still under-exploited mechanism that I believe requires further attention.
Mr. President,
During this same briefing last year, the former Chair of the 1737 Committee said that the greatest joy of his mandate had been to see that Committee disappear. I can only second those words today, reiterating Italy’s unwavering support for the JCPoA and the need for a full implementation of resolution 2231. Unfortunately, I cannot express myself in similar terms on the 1718 Committee: while we hope for a surge in diplomacy, Member States must double their efforts for a full implementation of sanctions in order to lead the DPRK back to the negotiating table.
This is the crucial purpose of sanctions imposed on the DPRK: to create conditions conducive to restarting negotiations, while at the same time hindering the development of the nuclear and ballistic missile programs of the DPRK. As repeatedly stated in all resolutions, sanctions have never been meant to have a negative impact on the North Korean people or affect the humanitarian situation in the country. During our next meeting on December 11, Committee members will hear a presentation on UN humanitarian operations in the field, and have a discussion dedicated to this subject. At the same time, it remains entirely in the hands of Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and return to international legality, so, also we are nearing the end of the mandate and there is still work to be done.
Mr. President,
In closing, let me wish the best of luck to my Dutch colleague, Ambassador Karel van Oosterom, whom I am sure will do a superb job also in his capacity as the new Chair of subsidiary bodies. True to the spirit of our split term, my team and I have been working hand-in-hand with our Dutch colleagues to ensure a smooth transition and, from January 1st, will be in the first row to support their work from the other side of this table.
Finally, let me express my gratitude for the invaluable assistance received from the Subsidiary Organs branch of the Secretariat, and a special mention for the tireless work of the DPRK Panel of Experts. Their cooperation and advise have been fundamental to our tasks.
Thank you, Mr. President.
