Key UN committee condemns North Korea's human rights violations
Arirang News
2018-11-16
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Together with denuclearization,... human rights is one of North Korea's long-standing problems that the international society has been aiming to resolve.
And the UN is showing a united front condemning Pyeongyang's human rights violations.
Lee Ji-won has more
The UN Committee on Human Rights has adopted a resolution slamming North Korea's "longstanding and ongoing systematic, widespread and gross violations of human rights."
The committee approved the resolution by consensus without a vote on Thursday.
The resolution is expected to pass the General Assembly in December for the 14th straight year.
It lists grave human rights violations by North Korea,... including torture, rape, public executions,... and the continuing impunity for such abuses.
It "strongly urged" the regime to respect human rights,... by shutting all political prison camps and releasing the prisoners.
While North Korea has not been taking any measures to comply,... the commission also encouraged the UN Security Council to take appropriate measures to "ensure accountability".
These include referring North Korea to the International Criminal Court, and further sanctions targeting those who "appear to be most responsible for human rights violations", an apparent reference to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
But the resolution also welcomes diplomatic efforts with North Korea.
It mentions the importance of engagement in improving human rights and the resumption of family reunions for those separated by the Korean War.
The reunion took place in August, for the first time in almost three years and the report also welcomed the two Koreas' promise to fundamentally solve the issue, as promised in the third inter-Korean summit in September.
However, North Korea's UN Mission stormed out of the meeting, saying it "resolutely and totally rejects" the resolution.
It said the North will strongly act against pressure from hostile forces that try to disgrace North Korea's image.
South Korea's foreign affairs ministry says it backs the consensus to adopt the resolution as part of its efforts to improve North Korea's human rights issues through cooperation with the international community.
The draft was written by the EU and Japan,... and co-sponsored by 61 member states.
Lee Ji-won, Arirang News.
And the UN is showing a united front condemning Pyeongyang's human rights violations.
Lee Ji-won has more
The UN Committee on Human Rights has adopted a resolution slamming North Korea's "longstanding and ongoing systematic, widespread and gross violations of human rights."
The committee approved the resolution by consensus without a vote on Thursday.
The resolution is expected to pass the General Assembly in December for the 14th straight year.
It lists grave human rights violations by North Korea,... including torture, rape, public executions,... and the continuing impunity for such abuses.
It "strongly urged" the regime to respect human rights,... by shutting all political prison camps and releasing the prisoners.
While North Korea has not been taking any measures to comply,... the commission also encouraged the UN Security Council to take appropriate measures to "ensure accountability".
These include referring North Korea to the International Criminal Court, and further sanctions targeting those who "appear to be most responsible for human rights violations", an apparent reference to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
But the resolution also welcomes diplomatic efforts with North Korea.
It mentions the importance of engagement in improving human rights and the resumption of family reunions for those separated by the Korean War.
The reunion took place in August, for the first time in almost three years and the report also welcomed the two Koreas' promise to fundamentally solve the issue, as promised in the third inter-Korean summit in September.
However, North Korea's UN Mission stormed out of the meeting, saying it "resolutely and totally rejects" the resolution.
It said the North will strongly act against pressure from hostile forces that try to disgrace North Korea's image.
South Korea's foreign affairs ministry says it backs the consensus to adopt the resolution as part of its efforts to improve North Korea's human rights issues through cooperation with the international community.
The draft was written by the EU and Japan,... and co-sponsored by 61 member states.
Lee Ji-won, Arirang News.
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