[Oral Statement] Civil Society Presentation during 2015 NPT by PSPD

2015 Review Conference of the Parties to 

the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) 

Civil Society Presentation delivered by Ms. Gayoon Baek on Behalf of

People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD)

Friday, 1 May 2015

Madame President, delegates and friends of the NGOs,

My name is Gayoon Baek and I am presenting this statement on behalf of People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD), a NGO based in Seoul, Republic of Korea. 

This statement is a summary of joint declaration initiated by People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD) and Solidarity for Peace And Reunification of Korea (SPARK) and endorsed by more than 300 individuals and 100 national and international organizations around the world. 

PSPD expresses its grave concerns on the ongoing armistice system on the Korean peninsula and urge relevant governments to end the Korean War to realize nuclear free Northeast Asia. 

In the last 20 years, there have been several agreements to peacefully resolve the nuclear problems on the Korean peninsula, but no agreement has been fully implemented. As a result, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has carried out nuclear tests on three different occasions. The nuclear crisis on the Korean peninsula has been aggravated because of accumulated distrust between the US and the DPRK, the DPRK and Republic of Korea (ROK) and neighboring countries and the DPRK. It is not the fault of only one country. All must accept responsibility.

In the last 20 years, unilateral US and its allies’ policies against the DPRK, such as pressure and containment, the reinforced nuclear umbrella, have proved ineffective to resolve the DPRK nuclear issues. When dialogue and negotiations were pursued, the DPRK slowed or suspended its nuclear program. When hostile policies and sanctions were imposed, the DPRK developed it nuclear capabilities. In particular, the situation has become worse whenever the policy has been to halt dialogue, in the vain hope that regime collapse or transition was imminent.

In order to elicit a positive response from the DPRK, a new level of dialogue, bold, constructive proposals that are acceptable to both sides should be proposed. This new, comprehensive solution should be based on establishing a peace system on the Korean peninsula, normalizing relations between the DPRK and the US, and between the DPRK and Japan, and eliminating nuclear threats in Northeast Asia. 

In this regards, we propose as followings:

• Immediately reconvene the lapsed Six-Party Talks based on the Joint Statement of September 19, 2005 in order to find ways to solve the nuclear crisis on the Korean peninsula. 
• Parallel to, or preceding, the Six-Party Talks, the countries involved — including South Korea, North Korea, the US, and China — should conduct negotiations that would lead to ending the armistice system and replacing it with a permanent peace system, based on the conclusion of a peace treaty.
• Parallel to, or preceding, the Six-Party Talks, North Korea-US, and North Korea-Japan bilateral talks should be initiated in order to comprehensively improve relations between these states.
• The two Koreas should expand their dialogue and cooperation with each other, with the active support and encouragement of neighboring countries.
• There must be an end to the US-Japan-ROK military cooperation/alliance, including the missile defense system, which perpetuates the arms race on the peninsula and in the wider East Asian region.
• Japan must be prevented from exercising the right of collective self-defense, as interpreted by the Abe administration, because this would nullify the Japanese peace constitution, particularly article 9, which has served as an anchor of peace in East Asia.
• The denuclearization of the Korean peninsula should be approached based on perspectives on establishing a nuclear-weapon-free zone on the Korean peninsula or in Northeast Asia.
• Together with the conclusion of the Korean peninsula peace treaty, hostile military alliances must be phased out, stage by stage, and replaced by peaceful reciprocal relations, in order to contribute to the common security of the Korean peninsula and all East Asian countries.

Now, it is time to end the Korean War and move one step towards to nuclear weapon free Northeast Asia. We do hope that all of you join our proposals and stand in solidarity with us to make nuclear weapon free Northeast Asia. 

I thank you, Madame President.