OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Christine Muttonen (Austria) has denounced the latest nuclear test in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea – the sixth carried out by Pyongyang since 2006 – and reiterated the need to de-escalate tensions, promote stability and prioritize nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament.
“North Korea’s nuclear test carried out over the weekend must be unequivocally denounced as a reckless and destabilizing act in blatant violation of international norms,” President Muttonen said. “I urge the leaders of North Korea to abandon their provocative moves which endanger not only millions of people on the Korean Peninsula but the world as a whole.”
She added: “The international community speaks with one voice in rejecting North Korea’s destabilizing actions and the OSCE PA stands ready to support any UN Security Council resolution condemning this latest nuclear test. I further note that ongoing tensions between Washington and Pyongyang underline the urgent need for renewed diplomacy. We cannot allow saber-rattling and nuclear brinkmanship to replace the hard work of negotiations and compromise.”
The President stressed that North Korea’s latest nuclear test underscores the need for universal adherence to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 September 1996, but has not entered into force due to the lack of ratification by eight countries.
Last week, President Muttonen met in Astana with the Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization, Lassina Zerbo, to hear about the organization’s work in monitoring nuclear testing around the world.