UN Adopts North Korea Human Rights Resolution... South Korea Excluded from Joint Sponsors for 2 Consecutive Years

Adopted for 18 Consecutive Years by Consensus Without Vote
North Korea Mentions Floyd Incident, Opposes "Resolution Rejection"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] On the 22nd (local time), the United Nations (UN) adopted the North Korea human rights resolution by consensus without a vote, but South Korea was excluded from the list of co-sponsoring countries.

The North Korea human rights resolution condemns human rights violations and crimes against humanity occurring in North Korea and calls for accountability.

The UN Human Rights Council, composed of 47 member states, adopted the North Korea human rights resolution by consensus at its 43rd session held at the Geneva office on the same day. The resolution has been adopted for 18 consecutive years since it was first adopted in 2003 by the former UN Commission on Human Rights. The Human Rights Council expressed "deep concern over the systematic, widespread, and grave human rights violations in North Korea" and criticized that "many of these human rights violations constitute crimes against humanity."

However, South Korea was excluded from the list of co-sponsoring countries of the draft resolution submitted by the European Union (EU). This is the second time South Korea has been excluded from the co-sponsoring list, following last year.

The Human Rights Council also mentioned the resolution of the abduction issues involving Japan and South Korea, as well as the resumption of separated family reunions. In particular, it noted that the human rights situation in North Korea is believed to have worsened due to the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), emphasizing the importance of timely support for the residents during the COVID-19 outbreak.

In response, Han Daesung, the ambassador of the North Korean mission in Geneva, referred to the recent case of George Floyd, a Black man who died due to excessive force by a white police officer in the United States, stating that the Human Rights Council should pay attention to the human rights situation in Western countries and declared, "North Korea rejects the resolution."

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