U.N. blasts North Korea rights abuses in General Assembly resolution
The U.N. General Assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution slamming North Korea over its human rights violations.
The 193-member body approved the nonbinding resolution, co-sponsored by dozens of members including Japan and South Korea. Thursday’s move marked the 18th straight year that the assembly has agreed to a similar resolution.
The latest version expressed concern over the prevalence of severe hunger and malnutrition in North Korea and condemned the country for “pursuing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles over the welfare of its people.”
This year’s version noted that restrictions on freedom of thought, conscience and expression had been “further tightened by the COVID-19 prevention measures,” and called on Pyongyang to allow the return of U.N. humanitarian staff to the country.
It also condemned “gross violations of human rights” in the country and stressed “the immediate return of all abductees” taken from Japan and South Korea.
The assembly adopted the resolution without a vote.
Speaking prior to the adoption of the resolution, North Korean Ambassador to the United Nations Kim Song said that the country “condemns and rejects (the resolution) in (the) strongest terms.”
“The draft resolution, which is a product of (the) hostile policy of the United States and its followers against the DPRK, has nothing to do with genuine promotion and protection of human rights,” Kim said, using the acronym of his country’s formal name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
The U.N. Security Council held a closed-door meeting on human rights in North Korea earlier this month.
After the meeting, 31 countries including Japan, South Korea and the United States delivered a joint statement naming North Korea as one of the worst human rights violators.