The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) called for North Korea to be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) over its human right abuses and for charges of crimes against humanity. The UN report revealed that civilians of North Korea faced worst atrocities. It also detailed wide-ranging abuses in North Korea which includes deliberate starvation, forced labour, executions, torture, rape and the denial of reproductive rights enforced through punishment, forced abortion and infanticide.
The UNGA adopted the resolution with 116 accepted votes to 20 rejected votes. More than 50 countries abstained from voting. China and Russia voted against the resolution along with Belarus Cuba, Iran, Syria and Venezuela.
Addressing the General Assembly, North Korea’s deputy ambassador An Myong Hun slammed the resolution as “the product of a political plot and confrontation,” based on a “fabricated” report by the commission of inquiry.
