More countries mention N. Korea abduction issue at UNSC meeting

December 12, 2017

New York- -More UN Security Council members directly mentioned North Korea's past abductions of Japanese nationals at a meeting on North Korean human rights issues on Monday, than at such meetings in recent years.

Countries that referred to the abduction issue on the day include three of the council's five permanent members--the United States, Britain and France--as well as Italy and Sweden.

"Awareness about the abduction issue has considerably increased at the Security Council," Japanese Permanent Representative to the United Nations Koro Bessho told reporters following the meeting.

"We'll work hard to increase this momentum further, in order to achieve good results," Bessho said. Japan holds presidency of the council this month.

Meanwhile, the North Korean delegation released a statement claiming that "nonexistent" human rights issues were "brought up and discussed again this year by the U.S. and other hostile forces."

It was the fourth time for the powerful UN panel to hold a meeting on human rights issues regarding North Korea. Some countries including China, a permanent member, opposed holding the latest meeting, but 10 of the 15 council members supported the move.

During the meeting, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, on a broadcast from Paris, called for minimizing the negative impact of international sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs on the humanitarian situation in the country.

Humanitarian assistance provided by UN agencies and others is literally "a lifeline for some 13 million acutely vulnerable individuals" in North Korea, he said. "But sanctions may be adversely affecting this essential help."

On Tuesday, Jeffrey Feltman, UN undersecretary-general for political affairs, will report to the Security Council on his visit to North Korea last week.

On Friday, the council will hold a ministerial session on nuclear nonproliferation to be attended by Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Jiji Press