15 November 2002
Hastings Introduces Measure on North Korean Nuclear Program
(Resolution condemns North Korea for not complying with agreements)
(1520)
Representative Alcee Hastings (Democrat of Florida) introduced House
Concurrent Resolution 517 (H. Con. Res. 517), a measure condemning
North Korea for its failure to comply with the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the U.S.-North Korea Agreed
Framework, to the House of Representatives November 13.
H. Con. Res. 517 was referred to the House International Relations
Committee for further action.
The proposed resolution states that the existence of a North Korean
nuclear weapons program "poses a real and imminent threat to the
populations of South Korea, Japan, and North Korea, and United States
Armed Forces in that region."
H. Con. Res. 517 notes that since 1993 North Korea has refused to
allow inspections of its nuclear facilities by the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The proposed resolution said that in March 1994, the IAEA passed a
resolution stating that the agency "could not verify that North Korea
had not used nuclear materials for the production of nuclear weapons
and nuclear explosive devices."
Hastings' resolution adds that in November 1995, the United Nations
General Assembly adopted Resolution 50/9 "expressing concern over the
continuing noncompliance of North Korea to cooperate fully with the
IAEA to verify North Korea's inventory of nuclear material subject to
safeguards."
In October of this year, H. Con. Res. 517 says, North Korea "admitted
that it has been operating a covert nuclear weapons program."
The proposed resolution calls on members of Korean Peninsula Energy
Development Organization to suspend construction of the light water
reactor in North Korea, as well as funding for such construction, and
to suspend shipment of heavy fuel oil to North Korea.
H. Con. Res. 517 calls on Russia, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea,
and other "concerned countries" to support "the suspension of the
commitment by the United States under the U.S.-North Korea Agreed
Framework of 1994 pending compliance by North Korea with inspections
criteria by the IAEA."
Following is the text of House Concurrent Resolution 517 from the
November 13 Congressional Record:
(begin text)
Condemning the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for its failure
to comply with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
and the U.S.-North Korea Agreed Framework... (Introduced in the House)
HCON 517 IH
107th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. CON. RES. 517
Condemning the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for its failure
to comply with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
and the U.S.-North Korea Agreed Framework of 1994.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 13, 2002
Mr. HASTINGS of Florida submitted the following concurrent resolution;
which was referred to the Committee on International Relations
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Condemning the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for its failure
to comply with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
and the U.S.-North Korea Agreed Framework of 1994.
Whereas the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
(commonly referred to as the `Non-Proliferation Treaty' or `NPT') is
the most widely accepted international arms control agreement;
Whereas the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons was
signed on July 1, 1968, and entered into force on March 5, 1970;
Whereas a total of 187 countries are parties to the Non-Proliferation
Treaty and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) has
been a signatory of the Treaty since 1985;
Whereas Article II of the Non-Proliferation Treaty provides that
`(e)ach non-nuclear-weapon State Party to the Treaty undertakes not to
receive the transfer from any transferor whatsoever of nuclear weapons
or other nuclear explosive devices or of control over such weapons or
explosive devices directly, or indirectly; not to manufacture or
otherwise acquire nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices;
and not to seek or receive any assistance in the manufacture of
nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices';
Whereas section 1 of Article III of the Non-Proliferation Treaty
provides that `(e)ach non-nuclear-weapon State Party to the Treaty
undertakes to accept safeguards, as set forth in an agreement to be
negotiated and concluded with the International Atomic Energy Agency
in accordance with the Statute of the International Atomic Energy
Agency and the Agency's safeguards system, for the exclusive purpose
of verification of the fulfillment of its obligations assumed under
this Treaty with a view to preventing diversion of nuclear energy from
peaceful uses to nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices';
Whereas North Korea has been a member state of the United Nations
since September 17, 1991;
Whereas in 1992 North Korea threatened to withdraw from the
Non-Proliferation Treaty following a request from the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for special inspections to help resolve
anomalies in North Korean nuclear facilities;
Whereas in the Agreed Framework Between the United States of America
and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, signed in Geneva on
October 21, 1994, North Korea pledged to freeze its existing nuclear
program and allow the IAEA to carry out inspections designed to
account for all its nuclear material and in return, North Korea would
be provided with two light-water reactors and heavy fuel oil;
Whereas since early 1993 North Korea has refused to allow inspections
of its nuclear facilities by the IAEA;
Whereas on March 21, 1994, the IAEA passed a resolution stating that
it could not verify that North Korea had not used nuclear materials
for the production of nuclear weapons and nuclear explosive devices;
Whereas in the U.S.-North Korea Agreed Framework of 1994, the United
States pledged to organize, under its leadership, an international
consortium to finance and supply the light water reactor project for
North Korea;
Whereas the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO),
an international consortium, was created in 1995 to advance the
implementation of the Agreed Framework by providing North Korea with
alternative sources of energy in the form of heavy fuel oil and a
modern nuclear power plant;
Whereas on April 11, 1995, the United Nations Security Council adopted
Resolution 984 reaffirming the need for all states parties to the
Non-Proliferation Treaty to comply fully with all their obligations;
Whereas Security Council Resolution 984 urges all states, as provided
for in Article VI of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, to pursue
negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to nuclear
disarmament and on a treaty on general and complete disarmament under
strict and effective international control which remains a universal
goal;
Whereas on November 1, 1995, the United Nations General Assembly
adopted Resolution 50/9 expressing concern over the continuing
noncompliance of North Korea to cooperate fully with the IAEA to
verify North Korea's inventory of nuclear material subject to
safeguards;
Whereas in October 2002 North Korea admitted that it has been
operating a covert nuclear weapons program;
Whereas the United States and the Republic of Korea have long had a
close relationship based on shared interests and shared security
goals;
Whereas there are nearly 38,000 United States Armed Forces currently
stationed on the Korean Peninsula;
Whereas the United States and Japan have long had a close relationship
based on shared interests and shared security goals;
Whereas there are nearly 40,000 United States Armed Forces currently
stationed in Japan; and
Whereas the existence of a North Korean nuclear weapons program poses
a real and imminent threat to the populations of South Korea, Japan,
and North Korea, and United States Armed Forces in that region: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That
Congress--
(1) calls on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea),
as a signatory of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear
Weapons, to comply with Articles II, III and VI of that Treaty;
(2) calls on North Korea, as a signatory of the U.S.-North Korea
Agreed Framework of 1994, to honor commitments to freeze nuclear
programs;
(3) calls on North Korea, as a signatory of the Agreed Framework of
1994, to allow the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to carry
out inspections under conditions stipulated in the Agreed Framework of
1994;
(4) commends the members of the Korean Peninsula Energy Development
Organization (KEDO) for honoring and upholding commitments to advance
the implementation of the Agreed Framework of 1994;
(5) calls on North Korea to comply with United Nations Security
Council Resolution 984 (April 11, 1995) and comply fully with its
obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty;
(6) calls on North Korea, as a member of the United Nations, to comply
with United Nations General Assembly Resolution 50/9 (November 1,
1995) to cooperate fully with the IAEA;
(7) calls on the IAEA to report to the United Nations General
Assembly, not later than one year after the date of the adoption of
this concurrent resolution, on the status of North Korea's compliance
with inspections;
(8) calls on members of KEDO to suspend construction of the light
water reactor in North Korea, including to suspend funding of such
construction, and to suspend shipment of heavy fuel oil to North Korea
if the IAEA report submitted pursuant to paragraph (7) indicates
non-compliance by North Korea; and
(9) calls on the Russian Federation, the People's Republic of China,
Japan, the Republic of Korea, and other concerned countries to support
the suspension of the commitment by the United States under the
U.S.-North Korea Agreed Framework of 1994 pending compliance by North
Korea with inspections criteria by the IAEA.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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