UN General Assembly
2016

New Zealand therefore welcomes recent steps by the United States and China to begin negotiating a new Security Council resolution, following the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s recent nuclear test. We hope that this will send a clear signal to the North Korean leadership that continued provocative and dangerous actions are unacceptable and that a return to the negotiating table represents the only sensible way forward. The international community must stand together in conveying these messages, including through fully implementing Security Council sanctions. The Council has impact and influence when it is unified, but we have to get better at identifying incentives that encourage unified Council positions. For a country with a proud tradition of being a pragmatic bridge-builder and problem-solver, the Council can be an incredibly frustrating place to work. But we are committed to trying to make it work because it is in our collective interest to have a strong and relevant Council.