UNITED NATIONS (AP) The U.N. General Assembly's human rights committee unanimously adopted a resolution Tuesday against the "systematic, widespread and grave" human rights violations in North Korea, citing its reported use of torture, the death penalty for political and religious reasons and numerous political prison camps.
The resolution, which
calls on North Korea to immediately put an end to all human rights violations in the country, was adopted by consensus by the committee, which includes all 193 U.N. member states. It now goes to the General Assembly for final approval next month, which is virtually certain.
North Korean diplomat Kim Song vehemently rejected the resolution, which was sponsored by the European Union and Japan, saying it was "politically motivated" and promoted by the United States and its followers "in their attempt to achieve their goals of undermining our system."
All information in the resolution "is a false fabrication cooked up by some hostile non-governmental organizations" funded by the U.S., he said.
Lithuania's deputy U.N. ambassador Rita Kazragiene, who introduced the resolution, said North Korea's positive steps in the past year, including signing the convention on the rights of people with disabilities, "do not go nearly far enough and are clearly outweighed by a general deterioration in the overall human rights situation."
