40+ Pro-diplomacy Organizations Issue Statement of Principles on U.S.-North Korea Negotiations

USDPRKStatement2019

Last Updated on February 2, 2021.

WASHINGTON — More than forty national organizations have offered their support for principled progress on U.S.-DPRK diplomacy. 

In addition to supporting a declaration to end the Korean war and opposing an unprovoked military attack on North Korea, the groups believe that the United States must offer concrete reciprocal proposals that coincide with any effort by North Korea to verifiably suspend and/or dismantle its nuclear weapons program.

See the full text below and PDF link here.

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Statement of Pro-Diplomacy Groups Regarding U.S. Policy Toward North Korea

The United States has a rare opportunity to advance the twin goals of denuclearization and a lasting peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, commitments that the two nations made during their unprecedented Summit in Singapore in June 2018. With this in mind, pro-diplomacy organizations urge members of Congress to commit to the following principles as they relate to U.S.-North Korea policy:

  • Support a process with reciprocal actions that verifiably suspends and dismantles North Korea’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs and addresses mutual security concerns, such as:
    • a political statement declaring an end to the Korean War,
    • building a stable and lasting peace regime on the Korean Peninsula,
    • joint US-DPRK trust-building programs such as:
      • continuing POW/MIA remains repatriation, and
      • reunions between long-divided North Korean and Korean American families.
  • Support South Korea in its efforts to improve inter-Korean relations through confidence-building and tension reduction measures, including the commitments made in the Panmunjom Declaration in April 2018:
    • reduce acute military tensions
    • replace the armistice agreement with a peace regime
    • inter-Korean economic and civic projects, and
    • humanitarian relief efforts.
  • Oppose an unprovoked U.S. military attack on North Korea, which could trigger full-scale — potentially nuclear — war, endangering the lives of tens of millions in the region, including South Koreans and Americans.
  • Support targeted sanctions relief in exchange for concrete, verifiable actions toward denuclearization.
  • Strengthen sanctions exemptions for humanitarian activities and maintain consistent congressional oversight on the implementation of humanitarian exemptions.
  • Support the inclusion of women, youth, and other civil society actors in ongoing negotiations.

Signatories (Last Updated: 02/21/19)

About Face: Veterans Against the War 
Arms Control Association 
Beyond the Bomb
Campaign for Peace Disarmament and Common Security
Center for American Progress
Center for International Policy
CODEPINK
Common Defense
Council for a Livable World
CREDO
Daily Kos
Demand Progress Education Fund
Dominican Sisters of Peace
Federation of American Scientists
Foreign Policy for America
Franciscan Action Network
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Good Friends USA
Indivisible
Institute for Policy Studies, New Internationalism Project
Just Foreign Policy
Korean American National Coordinating Council, Inc.
Korean Americans in Action
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
Mennonite Central Committee U.S. Washington Office
Military Families Speak Out
MoveOn
National Association of Korean Americans 
Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainability
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
Nuclear Crisis Group
Pax Christi International
Peace Action
Peace Committee of the Korean Association of the United Methodist Church
Physicians for Social Responsibility
Ploughshares Fund
Presbyterian Church (USA)
RootsAction.org
United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries
United for Peace and Justice
VoteVets
War Prevention Initiative 
Win Without War
Women Cross DMZ
Women’s Action for New Directions 

February 28, 2019