Canada to participate in initiative to counter North Korea’s maritime sanctions evasion

April 28, 2018 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence, today issued the following statement:

“Canada is committed to peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and believes that a diplomatic solution to the North Korea crisis is essential and possible. We welcome recent statements by North Korea announcing a reported suspension of nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile launches.

“We fully support the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions regime that exerts pressure on North Korea to change course and abandon its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs completely, verifiably and irreversibly.

“To that end, the Government of Canada is today announcing its participation in an initiative to counter North Korea’s maritime smuggling, in particular its use of ship-to-ship transfers, in contravention of UNSC resolutions. Canada has deployed a Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) maritime patrol aircraft in the region to assist in this effort, in addition to assets being provided by the United States and the United Kingdom.

“Canada’s participation in this coordinated effort is a demonstration of the international solidarity in support of peace and security on the Korean Peninsula.”

Quick facts

• During the January 2018 Vancouver Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Security and Stability on the Korean Peninsula, Canada and other partners committed to:
  1. work collectively and closely together, with partners in the region and globally, to ensure effective implementation of UNSC sanctions on North Korea;
  2. share information with partners and with the UN Panel of Experts responsible for sanctions related to North Korea, in order to combat sanctions evasion; and
  3. counter North Korea’s maritime smuggling in accordance with relevant UNSC resolutions.
• The CAF have deployed a maritime patrol aircraft and approximately 40 personnel, based in Kadena, Japan, in support of this effort.

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Adam Austen
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Adam.Austen@international.gc.ca

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