The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution condemning North Korea’s systematic and widespread human rights violations.
This marks the 20th consecutive year of the resolution’s adoption since its inception in 2005.
According to Radio Free Asia (RFA) on Tuesday, the resolution was adopted by consensus, without a vote, during a plenary session held at the UN headquarters in New York.
The UN General Assembly’s Third Committee, which oversees human rights issues, had previously passed the North Korea human rights resolution without a vote on November 20 and forwarded it to the plenary session.
This year’s resolution includes new content not present in previous iterations.
Notably, it expresses concern that “Noting with concern the possible negative impact on the human rights situation, including that of separated families, following the announcement of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in January 2024 that it would no longer pursue reunification with the Republic of Korea.”
The resolution also calls for repealing or reforming laws such as the Anti-Reactionary Thought Law, the Youth Education Guarantee Law, and the Pyongyang Cultural Language Protection Law, which severely restrict North Korean citizens’ freedom of thought and conscience.
Additionally, the resolution urges the UN General Assembly President to convene a high-level meeting to hear testimonies from civil society representatives and experts to assess the grave human rights violations in North Korea.
