North Korea Takes the Helm of a UN Disarmament Group—and the World Looks on With Half a Smirk
In a move that feels oddly like a bad diplomatic joke, North Korea is now chairing the Conference on Disarmament (CoD), a UN body that’s supposed to negotiate the end of nuclear arsenals.
Why it Matters (or Doesn’t)
- North Korea’s no secret‑keepers: it’s flung a bunch of rehearsed ballistic missiles (against UN bans) and might actually pop the nuclear button again after a 2017 pause.
- The CoD runs on alphabetical rotations among 65 members—so when “K” comes up, Korea’s the one to step up.
- While diplomats, especially from the West, have publicly slammed Pyongyang’s antics, they didn’t leave the meeting floor entirely, sending a lower‑profile team instead of smashing the doors.
Members on Aside
Australia called the launches “destabilising.”
The rest of the world—though not exactly marching out like a protest—sent ambassadors lower on the pecking order. The reaction was chill, especially when compared to the 2018 Syrian chairmanship: Canada read out eyewitness accounts of chemical attacks, and the room was hardly louder than a library.
Why It’s “Hilariously Troubling”
UN Watch’s Hillel Neuer warned that North Korea at the head of the CoD could really tarnish the prestige of the UN. Experts say the institute has been stand‑by‑idle since the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which means it’s not much of a sign‑post at this point.
Bottom Line (For Now)
With the world’s only multilateral disarmament forum seemingly rotting in its chairmanship of 2016, the CoD’s relevance has taken a hit, and the chances of a vigorous peace treaty are slimmer than a North Korean snowdrift.
