The UN Security Council will meet urgently behind closed doors and informally on Monday at midday on North Korea.

This meeting is at the request of Washington, in particular, after a supposed test of a North Korean missile, according to diplomats.

The United States and the European members of the Security Council (United Kingdom, France, Albania, Ireland and Norway) are behind the convening of this session.

A disturbing nuclear test

On Sunday, North Korea announced that it had carried out “an important new test” for the development of a reconnaissance satellite, but analysts believe that it is rather a missile launch, a few days before presidential election in South Korea.

Pyongyang conducted seven weapons tests in January, including its most powerful missile since 2017, and last week claimed to have carried out a test for the development of a reconnaissance satellite.

Seoul then spoke of a ballistic missile.

Put pressure on China

During this new meeting, in addition to an exchange of information, the West should again put pressure on China, close support of Pyongyang, to obtain a joint declaration on the North Korean tests.

"We just need a very small statement" on these tests "in order to show North Korea the unity of the Council" towards it, said a diplomat on condition of anonymity.

China recalcitrant since 2017

Since 2017 and the UN taking three rounds of international economic sanctions against Pyongyang, Beijing has refused to join in any joint gesture by the Security Council.

China, supported by Russia, has even drawn up a draft resolution to attenuate these sanctions with a humanitarian objective, which has remained a dead letter until now, for lack of support from a majority of Beijing's partners.

Severe penalties

North Korea faces tough international sanctions over its nuclear and missile programs, but launches of satellites for peaceful purposes are not subject to the same level of restrictions, although the rockets that carry them use large part the same technology.

Despite the sanctions, Pyongyang has so far rejected all offers of dialogue since the breakdown in 2019 of talks between leader Kim Jong Un and then-US President Donald Trump.

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