By Hyo-Jin Paik
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

SEOUL, South Korea – Earlier this week, the UN adopted a resolution condemning North Korea for its “systematic, widespread, and grave violations” of human rights in a 96 to 19 vote and urged Pyongyang to “respect fully all human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

This resolution, adopted on Thursday, was co-sponsored by 53 nations and was approved by a special committee of the UN General Assembly.  As a result of this resolution, the UN will be conducting a comprehensive review called Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the human rights conditions in North Korea next month.  All UN member states are subject to UPR.

Some of the human rights abuses mentioned in the resolution include cruel and degrading punishment such as public executions and extrajudicial detentions, which are all prevalent in North Korea.

Demonstrators protesting North Korean refugee repatriation.  Courtesy of AFP.

The resolution also expressed concern for fundamental freedoms of children, especially in terms of lack of access to basic economic, social and cultural rights, and the rights of North Korean refugees who seek asylum.

South Korea was a co-sponsor and voted for this resolution.  Its Foreign Ministry released a statement saying they voted in favor because human rights are “universal values that must be handled separately from other matters.”

North Korea’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the UN resolution for being groundless.  A spokesman for the North’s Central News Agency said the resolution is “nothing but ‘a stereotype political plot’ that forges hostility against the North every year.” 

He added, “As we always did (in the past), we squarely reject the ‘resolution’ that the U.S. and its followers manipulated to harm our ideology and system under the pretext of protecting human rights.”

The UN also pointed out how North Korea continuously refuses to cooperate with UN special agents who monitor human rights in North Korea.

Although this resolution is not binding, it does lay the foundation for UN members to take action against North Korea for its human rights violations.
For more information, please see:

The Korea Times – UN Condemns Human Rights Abuses in North Korea – 20 November 2009

JoongAng Daily – Seoul backs UN vote condemning North – 21 November 2009

Yonhap News – U.N. urges N. Korea to respect all human rights – 20 November 2009