Pyongyang: North Korea on Saturday called for standing up to "Western coercion" led by the United States and its allies, accusing them of violating U.N. principles of respect for other countries' sovereignty and noninterference in their internal affairs. North Korea made the call in a statement released by the foreign ministry, urging partner countries to continue raising their voices against such actions should they want to build "an equal and multipolar" world.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the ministry emphasized the need to abolish "unilateral coercive measures that obliterate the rights to sovereignty, survival and development." This statement was posted on the ministry's website. The Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the U.N., a relatively new U.N. group that includes North Korea, held a meeting earlier this month to mark the U.N. International Day against Unilateral Coercive Measures.

The group, launched in 2021 by 18 countries including China, Russia, and Iran, aims to support what they claim are the purposes of the U.N., though its members mostly consist of some of the world's most repressive regimes. It is seen as an effort to bring together developing nations critical of Western sanctions and human rights discourse, with aspirations to build a multipolar bloc led by China and Russia.

North Korea has intensified its diplomatic efforts with the Global South, which includes many developing countries in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. During the meeting, the group "condemned hostile acts by the U.S. and its allies that undermine the sovereignty, survival, and development rights of sovereign states," according to the ministry.

The group further urged the international community to "firmly oppose and reject illegal and unilateral coercive measures that violate the principles enshrined in the U.N. Charter, including sovereign equality, noninterference in internal affairs and respect for the right to self-determination," as stated by the ministry.