Today at the United Nations, Seth Bailey, U.S. Department of State Director for Korean and Mongolian Affairs, briefed UN member states on the first report by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT). The report focuses on unlawful military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. Director Bailey presented evidence of North Korea's arms and materiel transfers to Russia, as well as Russia's transfer of military technology to North Korea and training of North Korean troops in Russia.
Director Bailey stated that "the United States continues to support the complete denuclearization of North Korea and is determined to hold it accountable for its UN sanctions violations." He also noted that the MSMT aims to continue publishing timely, globally relevant, and fact-based reports on North Korea’s UN sanctions violations across a range of topics.
The MSMT was established to monitor and report violations and evasions of United Nations sanctions on North Korea. It was launched in 2024 after Russia vetoed the renewal of the UN 1718 Committee Panel of Experts mandate, which previously served this function. Currently, the MSMT comprises 11 participating states: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States. The May 29, 2025 report is available in English, Spanish, French, Russian, Chinese, and Arabic. The MSMT welcomes interest from additional states to participate in the mechanism.
For more information see: https://msmt.info/.
