The North Atlantic Council (NAC) condemns in the strongest possible terms the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) unprecedented launch of a ballistic missile of intercontinental range on 4 July, a major escalation that directly violates multiple United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions and clearly demonstrates the growing threat posed by the DPRK to the Alliance, to global peace and security, as well as to the global non-proliferation regime. We are supportive of efforts underway at the United Nations to impose additional sanctions on the DPRK, and call for all nations to fully implement existing UN sanctions and make further efforts to apply decisive pressure to convince the DPRK regime to abandon its current threatening and destabilising path.

Today the North Atlantic Council has met to discuss the actions of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. We have invited our partners Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea to join us in deliberating. Based on our consultations and our growing concern for the matter, the North Atlantic Council issues this statement.