UN Security Council Resolution 825
Encyclopedia
United Nations
Security Council Resolution
825, adopted on May 11, 1993, called upon the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (the DPRK, or North Korea) to reconsider its decision to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
and allow weapons inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) into the country, after it had previously refused entry.
production and requested access to certain facilities. Due to lack of progress in the negotiations, and the DPRK's refusal to allow inspection of two suspected nuclear waste sites, North Korea notified the IAEA on March 12, 1993 concerning its intention to withdraw from the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The Board of Governors at the IAEA later notified the Security Council that North Korea was not in compliance with its obligations under the Joint Agreement between the DPRK and the IAEA.
and Pakistan
, which both called for North Korea to return to the NPT. The Security Council noted with concern the intentions of the DPRK and reaffirmed the "crucial contribution which progress in non-proliferation can make to the maintenance of international peace and security" and called on the North Korean government
to be committed and honour its obligations under the Treaty. The resolution also required the Director-General of the IAEA to consult with the DPRK to find a solution and report back in due course. At the insistence of the People's Republic of China, which abstained, the resolution did not make reference to any sanctions if North Korea failed to comply with the Security Council.
s into the Sea of Japan
. After direct negotiations with the United States
, North Korea revoked its earlier decision to withdraw from the NPT in June 1993 and weapons inspections resumed, though not under the full terms of access under the original Joint Agreement. In October 1994, the ongoing negotiations resulted in the Agreed Framework
in which the DPRK agreed to the original 1992 IAEA safeguards and to freeze and dismantle its nuclear reactor
s and other facilities under the supervision of the IAEA in exchange for light water reactor
s.
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Security Council Resolution
United Nations Security Council Resolution
A United Nations Security Council resolution is a UN resolution adopted by the fifteen members of the Security Council; the UN body charged with "primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security"....
825, adopted on May 11, 1993, called upon the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (the DPRK, or North Korea) to reconsider its decision to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT, is a landmark international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and to...
and allow weapons inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency
International Atomic Energy Agency
The International Atomic Energy Agency is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. The IAEA was established as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957...
(IAEA) into the country, after it had previously refused entry.
Background
On January 30, 1992, North Korea officially signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in a "full scope safeguards agreement" after originally acceding to it in 1985, which allowed inspections to begin in June 1992; however, meetings failed to establish a bilateral inspection regime. The IAEA was not satisfied that North Korea had fully disclosed its plutoniumPlutonium
Plutonium is a transuranic radioactive chemical element with the chemical symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is an actinide metal of silvery-gray appearance that tarnishes when exposed to air, forming a dull coating when oxidized. The element normally exhibits six allotropes and four oxidation...
production and requested access to certain facilities. Due to lack of progress in the negotiations, and the DPRK's refusal to allow inspection of two suspected nuclear waste sites, North Korea notified the IAEA on March 12, 1993 concerning its intention to withdraw from the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The Board of Governors at the IAEA later notified the Security Council that North Korea was not in compliance with its obligations under the Joint Agreement between the DPRK and the IAEA.
Provisions
The resolution passed with 13 votes, none against and two abstentions from the People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, which both called for North Korea to return to the NPT. The Security Council noted with concern the intentions of the DPRK and reaffirmed the "crucial contribution which progress in non-proliferation can make to the maintenance of international peace and security" and called on the North Korean government
Government of North Korea
The North Korean government is the executive branch of the state, according to the Constitution of North Korea. In practice, the highest decisions are made by the National Defence Commission of North Korea which is led by its Chairman Kim Jong-il....
to be committed and honour its obligations under the Treaty. The resolution also required the Director-General of the IAEA to consult with the DPRK to find a solution and report back in due course. At the insistence of the People's Republic of China, which abstained, the resolution did not make reference to any sanctions if North Korea failed to comply with the Security Council.
Aftermath
North Korea accused the IAEA of "liqudating her socialism" and conducted further missile tests on May 29–30, 1993, firing Rodong-1 ballistic missileBallistic missile
A ballistic missile is a missile that follows a sub-orbital ballistic flightpath with the objective of delivering one or more warheads to a predetermined target. The missile is only guided during the relatively brief initial powered phase of flight and its course is subsequently governed by the...
s into the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
. After direct negotiations with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, North Korea revoked its earlier decision to withdraw from the NPT in June 1993 and weapons inspections resumed, though not under the full terms of access under the original Joint Agreement. In October 1994, the ongoing negotiations resulted in the Agreed Framework
Agreed Framework between the United States of America and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
The Agreed Framework between the United States of America and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea was signed on October 21, 1994 between North Korea and the United States...
in which the DPRK agreed to the original 1992 IAEA safeguards and to freeze and dismantle its nuclear reactor
Nuclear reactor
A nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction. Most commonly they are used for generating electricity and for the propulsion of ships. Usually heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid , which runs through turbines that power either ship's...
s and other facilities under the supervision of the IAEA in exchange for light water reactor
Light water reactor
The light water reactor is a type of thermal reactor that uses normal water as its coolant and neutron moderator. Thermal reactors are the most common type of nuclear reactor, and light water reactors are the most common type of thermal reactor...
s.
See also
- List of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 801 to 900 (1993 – 1994)
- United Nations Security Council Resolution 1874United Nations Security Council Resolution 1874United Nations Security Council Resolution 1874 was adopted unanimously by the United Nations Security Council on 12 June 2009. The resolution, passed under Chapter VII, Article 41, of the UN Charter, imposes further economic and commercial sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea ...
- North Korea and weapons of mass destructionNorth Korea and weapons of mass destructionNorth Korea has declared that it has nuclear weapons and is believed by many to have nuclear weapons. The CIA assesses that North Korea also has a substantial arsenal of chemical weapons...