UN slams N. Korea violations

Assembly calls for efforts to end ‘gross’ human rights crimes

NeW YoRK: The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution condemning the “systematic, widespread and gross” human rights violations in North Korea.

The non-binding resolution, which was passed by consensus without a vote on Monday, welcomed diplomatic efforts to end the crisis on the Korean peninsula.

But it emphasised that members were “deeply concerned at the grave human rights situation, the pervasive culture of impunity and the lack of accountability for human rights violations in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea”.

It also denounced the use of tor- ture as well as “inhumane conditions of detention, rape, public executions, extrajudicial and arbitrary detention” and “the existence of an extensive system of political prison camps”.

Pyongyang’s mission to the UN attacked the US’ willingness to organise a Security Council meeting on human rights in North Korea.

Earlier this month, Washington had given up asking for the meeting, which had been held every year since 2014, because it was unsure of the support it would get from partners.

However, the United States hopes to hold the meeting next month with the arrival of new nonpermanent council members that could be more favourable to doing so.

“The UN Security Council is neither a place for discussion on any human rights issue nor a platform where a human rights issue is politicised to flare up confrontation,” North Korea’s UN mission said in a statement.

“The UN Security Council should not be misused as a platform again where US’ high-handedness and arbitrary practice would prevail, and should remain true to its mission and duties as enshrined in the UN Charter,” it said. — AFP

Our members are deeply concerned at the grave human rights situation ... and lack of accountability ... in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. UN General Assembly