We are aware of the ruling made by the US District Court for the District of Columbia in 2014.

There is a substantial body of evidence that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) supplies arms to customers worldwide. Its sale of arms and related material to countries already in the grip of conflict exploits and increases regional instability. UN Security Council Resolution 2270, adopted on 2 March 2016, contains a range of robust measures to tackle the DPRK’s proliferation networks.

The UK proscribed Hizballah’s External Security Organisation in 2001, extending this in 2008 to include Hizballah’s Military Wing, namely the Jihad Council and all units reporting to it. However, the group is not proscribed in its entirety. The provisions of the Terrorism Act regarding support for proscribed organisations only apply to activity which has taken place in the UK.

We are aware of media reports linking individuals alleged to be agents of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to assassination attempts against DPRK citizens who have resettled in the Republic of Korea (ROK). The reports also detail the actions taken by the ROK authorities in response to these incidents. There are also occasional unverified reports that North Korean agents have abducted refugees resident in other countries. While the DPRK has acknowledged its involvement in the historical abductions of Japanese citizens during the 1970s and 1980s, it has not admitted to participation in these more recent reported cases. We strongly support efforts to resolve enforced disappearances and spoke on this matter during a UN Human Rights Council panel discussion in September.

We are also aware of media reports alleging cooperation between the DPRK and the Tamil Tigers, Hezbollah and Hamas. Despite these reports, recent public assessments indicate that the DPRK is not known to have sponsored any terrorist acts since 1987. However, the UK remains extremely concerned by the DPRK’s indiscriminate global proliferation of arms and related material, in violation of UN sanctions.

We remain deeply concerned by Iran’s ongoing support to the military wing of Hizballah including the provision of financial resources, military equipment and training. This support undermines prospects for peace and stability in the Middle East and contravenes UN Security Council Resolution 1747, which prohibits the export of weapons by Iran.