UNITED NATIONS: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Friday called for new international sanctions to be placed on North Korea, saying that failing to act would lead to ‘catastrophic consequences’.

Tillerson’s call for new sanctions came during an address to the United Nations, following weeks of mounting tensions over North Korea’s nuclear programme.

The US Secretary of State presided over the UN Security Council meeting as the chair of the council for the month of April.

“All options for responding to future provocation must remain on the table. Diplomatic and financial levers of power will be backed up by a willingness to counteract North Korean aggression with military action if necessary,” Tillerson said. “We much prefer a negotiated solution to this problem but we are committed to defending ourselves and our allies against North Korean aggression.”

Tillerson said that the sanctions would be tough on North Korea and that the country would face hardships in the future should it not adhere for demands that it stop testing its nuclear arsenal.

“This new pressure campaign will be swiftly implemented and painful to North Koran interest,” Tillerson said, noting that nations allied to North Korea may not approve. “But the catastrophic effects of a North Korean nuclear strike outweigh any economic benefits. We must be willing to face the hard truths and mark hard choices right now to prevent disastrous outcomes in the future. Business as usual is not an option.”

In his address the United Nations Secretary General said preventing armed conflict in Northeast Asia is the international community’s collective priority while the onus is also on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to refrain from further nuclear testing and explore the path of dialogue.

“Armed conflict in north-east Asia, which is home to one fifth of the world’s people and gross domestic product, would have global implications,” warned Guterres.

Guterres noted that since January 2016, the DPRK conducted two nuclear tests, more than 30 launches using ballistic missile technology, and various other activities relating to the nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, in clear violations of Security Council resolutions.

Its launches using ballistic missile technology have included tests of short-, medium-, intermediate-range and submarine-launched ballistic missiles, as well as the placement of a satellite in orbit, he added.

We must assume that, with each test or launch, the DPRK continues to make technological advances in its pursuit of a military nuclear capability

“The DPRK is the only country to have conducted nuclear tests this century. We must assume that, with each test or launch, the DPRK continues to make technological advances in its pursuit of a military nuclear capability,” he said, citing DPRK leader Kim

Jong Un’s description of his country as a “responsible nuclear-weapon State” and a recent statement by a delegate that “going nuclear armed is the policy of our State.”

Guterres said he is alarmed by the risk of a military escalation in the region, including by miscalculation or misunderstanding, and is particularly concerned by the possibility that efforts to offset the destabilizing activities of the DPRK could also result in increased arms competition and tensions, further impeding the ability of the international community to maintain unity and achieve a peaceful solution.

“The onus is on the DPRK to comply with its international obligations. At the same time, the international community must also step up its efforts to manage and reduce tensions,” the UN chief stressed.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2017