North Korea reacts angrily after UN votes to probe ‘crimes against humanity’

The UN adopted a landmark resolution condemning North Korean rights abuses and laying the groundwork for putting the Pyongyang regime in the dock for crimes against humanity.

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The resolution makes no mention of North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong-un, but notes a UN inquiry finding that the “highest level of the state” holds responsibility for rights abuses. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 12:00pm, 19 Nov 2014Updated: 7:01pm, 19 Nov 2014

The United Nations on Tuesday adopted a landmark resolution condemning North Korean rights abuses and laying the groundwork for putting the Pyongyang regime in the dock for crimes against humanity.

A resolution asking the Security Council to refer North Korea to the International Criminal Court passed by a resounding vote of 111 to 19 with 55 abstentions in a General Assembly human rights committee.

North Korea reacted angrily to the vote and announced that it was breaking off talks on improving human rights with the European Union, which drafted the resolution with Japan.

The non-binding measure will go to the full General Assembly for a vote next month.

But it remains an open question whether the Security Council will follow up on the resolution and seek to refer North Korea to the ICC, with China – Pyongyang’s main ally – and Russia widely expected to oppose such a move.

Both China and Russia voted against the resolution on Tuesday along with Cuba, Iran, Syria, Belarus, Venezuela, Uzbekistan and Sudan, who complained that the measure unfairly targeted North Korea.