Monitoring and surveillance activities by New Zealand against illicit maritime activities including ship-to-ship transfers

Royal New Zealand Navy sustainment vessel HMNZS AOTEAROA(Source: New Zealand Ministry of Defence)

1. From mid-August to mid-September, Royal New Zealand Navy sustainment vessel HMNZS AOTEAROA conducted monitoring and surveillance activities against illicit maritime activities, including ship-to-ship transfers with North Korean-flagged vessels prohibited by the United Nations Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs), in waters surrounding Japan. It was the first time Royal New Zealand Navy ships to engaged in these activities.
2. Japan welcomes these activities from the viewpoint of ensuring effective implementation of the relevant UNSCRs in solidarity with the international community toward the realization of North Korea’s dismantlement of all weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles of all ranges in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner.
3. As Japan has also been conducting information gathering activities for vessels suspected of violating the UNSCRs, Japan works closely with relevant countries and international organizations, including New Zealand.