UN: UN Security Council talks North Korea human rights

The UN Security Council held their first-ever meeting on human rights in North Korea on Monday in New York. Delegates from North Korea did not attend the meeting.

While the Security Council did not make a decision on whether or not to refer North Korea to the International Criminal Court, several countries including the US, Britain, Australia and France said the Council should consider taking action. At the meeting, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ivan Simonovic said that "rarely has such an extensive charge-sheet of international crimes been brought to this Council's attention."

The meeting comes just days after the UN General Assembly voted in favour of a new resolution urging the Security Council to refer North Korea to the ICC for alleged crimes against humanity.

In February the UN released an inquiry report into North Korea's reported human rights violations that detailed alleged cases of torture, summary executions, rape and a purported network of prison camps across the country.