The latest action comes despite repeated calls by the international community, including Mr. Ban and the United Nations Security Council, for DPRK to refrain from any actions that might exacerbate tensions on the Peninsula.

In February, the DPRK conducted its third, long threatened nuclear test, a move that was in violation of Security Council sanctions and drew widespread condemnation, including from the Secretary-General.

The test prompted the Security Council to tighten sanctions on the country’s trade and banking, as well as travel by targeted officials. The DPRK then reportedly said it was cancelling the 1953 Armistice Agreement that ended the Korean War.

Mr. Ban’s spokesperson said today that the Secretary-General remains concerned about provocations and tensions on the Korean Peninsula, “particularly given the risks of miscalculation and dangerous escalation.”

The Secretary-General stands ready to help facilitate the process of peace and trust-building on the Korean Peninsula, the spokesperson added.

“By vetoing this historic document, Iran, North Korea and Syria demonstrate the challenges civil society and supportive governments faced during the negotiations. In campaigning for this treaty, we called upon states to save lives and reduce human suffering and, fortunately, most governments heeded the call,” said Widney Brown, Senior Director of International Law and Policy at Amnesty International.

All three countries are under some form of sanctions, including arms embargoes, and have abysmal human rights records – having even used arms against their own citizens. The atrocities they have committed are precisely the type that the draft treaty aims to prevent, Amnesty said.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also expressed his disappointment with the failure of the Final United Nations Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) to reach an agreement among all 193 Member States on a treaty text during the last day of the conference.

Some 2,000 representatives of Governments, international and regional organizations and civil society had gathered in New York since 18 March to hammer out the details of what was seen as the most important initiative ever regarding conventional arms regulation within the UN.

If passed, the treaty would have applied to all conventional arms within the following categories: battle tanks, armoured combat vehicles, large-calibre artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, warships, missiles and missile launchers, and small arms and light weapons, according to the draft text.

Armed violence kills more than half a million people each year, including 66,000 women and girls. In addition, between 2000 and 2010, almost 800 humanitarian workers were killed in armed attacks and another 689 injured, according to the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs.

The previous attempts to reach a consensus on the treaty ended without success in July 2012. In December, the UN General Assembly agreed to a final conference and set today as the deadline for the two-week negotiations.

Detailing the new sanctions through a resolution adopted unanimously by the 15-member body, the Council demanded that the country retract its announcement of withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and reaffirmed its decision that “the DPRK shall abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes, in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner.”

Toward that goal, an existing ban on DPRK trade in items related to the nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and officials involved in it was specified as applying to a raft of items detailed in the resolution’s annexes, ranging from “pyrotechnically actuated valves,” to luxury goods such as jewelry with pearls and race cars.

The travel ban and asset freeze was extended to additional individuals and companies, including those involved in the trade of arms-related material and to the Second Academy of Natural Sciences in Pyongyang.

Welcoming the adoption of the resolution, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called its measures “effective and credible,” adding that “the Security Council has sent an unequivocal message to the DPRK that the international community will not tolerate its pursuit of nuclear weapons and related acts,” according to a statement released by his spokesperson.

Mr. Ban called on DPRK and all other Member States to fully comply with the resolution, reaffirming his commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula through dialogue.

The statement noted the Secretary-General’s deep concern over heightened tension on the Korean Peninsula, and urged DPRK to refrain from any further destabilizing steps or “bellicose rhetoric.”

“At a time of new political leadership throughout the region, the Secretary-General urges Pyongyang to reverse course and build confidence with the country’s neighbours,” it stated.

Sanctions were first imposed on DPRK by the Council following nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009, including a ban on the import of nuclear and missile technology. The sanctions were further tightened in January 2013 after the country reportedly launched a long-range Unha-3 rocket from its west coast.

As the country seems to be on the verge of possible important changes, people sent their warm congratulations to the new leader.

Among the many, there was Archbishop Desmond Tutu, writing on behalf of The Elders,  an independent group of global leaders who work together for peace and human rights. He praised President Park’s commitment to constructive engagement with North Korea, just after North Korea’s recent nuclear test, and for trying to improve bilateral relations to bring lasting peace to the region.

The Elders, who visited the region in April 2011, also expressed concern about the humanitarian situation in North Korea. They would welcome the resumption of humanitarian aid from South Korea, as well as cultural exchanges, technical cooperation and other confidence-building measures.

Under President Park’s leadership, a new phase of bilateral relations is possible and there is high hope this will be characterised by trust and open dialogue. As Archbishop Tutu reaffirmed in his letter, The Elders stand ready to support peace efforts in any way that the parties would find useful.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was another important figure who warmly congratulated Park Geun-hye on her election as the next President of the Republic of Korea, and voiced his readiness to work with the new Government.

According to his spokesperson:“The Republic of Korea is a highly valued and steadfast partner of the United Nations in the work for international peace and security, development and human rights.”

“With this new leadership,” it continued, “the Secretary-General hopes for even more active engagement by the Republic of Korea in advancing the agenda of the United Nations – from the promotion of sustainable development, the fight against climate change, and the contribution to global peace and human rights promotion.”

The Secretary-General, the statement added, stands ready to work with the new Government in promoting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, including through addressing the humanitarian, nuclear and other concerns regarding the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

The eyes of the international community are pointed on the actions the new president will take, now that the promise for a better future seems to be possible.