A North Korea human rights resolution condemning human rights violations in North Korea was adopted for the 21st consecutive year by the United Nations General Assembly's human rights committee.
On the 19th (local time), the United Nations General Assembly's Third Committee held a meeting at U.N. headquarters in New York and, without a vote, adopted by consensus a North Korea human rights resolution co-sponsored by Korea, sending it to the U.N. General Assembly plenary. The resolution sheds light on the grave human rights situation in North Korea and urges measures to improve human rights in North Korea.
The resolution "expresses deep concern about the grave human rights situation in North Korea, the pervasive culture of impunity, and the lack of accountability for human rights violations and abuses," and "condemns North Korea's diversion of excessive resources from welfare to military expenditure and its illegal nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs."
It also calls on North Korea to create conditions for the return of international and humanitarian aid staff and encourages member states and U.N. agencies to further support civil society activities aimed at improving the North Korea human rights situation. North Korea closed its borders in Jan. 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and has not approved the reentry of international organization staff to date.
In addition, this resolution newly includes welcoming the United Nations high commissioner for human rights' comprehensive report reflecting updates on the North Korea human rights situation since 2014, and calls on North Korea and member states to implement the recommendations in the report.
With this, Korea joined as a co-sponsoring country alongside about 40 co-sponsors. Korea had participated as a co-sponsor of the resolution from 2008 to 2018, but did not participate from 2019 to 2021 during the Moon Jae-in administration, citing considerations such as the potential impact on inter-Korean relations.
The United States withdrew from the United Nations Human Rights Council and thus was not among the co-sponsors of this resolution.
The resolution will be submitted to the U.N. General Assembly plenary next month for a final adoption decision. The General Assembly adopted a North Korea human rights resolution for 20 consecutive years from 2005 through last year.