The United Nations General Assembly committee that oversees human rights issues has passed a resolution calling for the UN Security Council to refer North Korea to the International Criminal Court on Tuesday, as North Korea warned of further nuclear tests in response.
The resolution acknowledged findings from an earlier UN Commission of Inquiry into human rights abuses in the country, stating there were "reasonable grounds to believe that crimes against humanity have been committed ... pursuant to policies established at the highest level of the State for decades."
It goes on to call for a referral to the International Criminal Court “and consideration of the scope for effective targeted sanctions against those who appear to be most responsible" for the violations.
The non-binding vote was passed with 111 countries in favour and 19 against, with 55 abstentions.
Amongst those who voted against the resolution were North Korea, Cuba, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka.
China and Russia, who hold veto power on the Security Council, also voted against the motion.
Philippe Bolopion, Human Rights Watch's UN director, however called for both countries to take heed of the “historic” vote, a move that he called a “huge victory” for the victims of human rights abuses. He told Voice of America,
“We hope that Russia and China will hear the very united voice of the international community and allow the U.N. Security Council to finally refer the situation in North Korea to the International Criminal Court.”
US Ambassador Elizabeth Cousens hailed the resolution stating that “the international community must send a clear message to the DPRK regime that human rights violations must stop and that those most responsible will be held accountable.”
The vote was also praised by Michael Kirby, who headed the Commission of Inquiry into North Korea, describing the move as "an important step in the defence of human rights".
"One of the only ways in which the International Criminal Court can secure jurisdiction is by referral by the Security Council. That is the step that has been put in train by the big vote in New York," he said.
North Korea, though, reacted angrily to the resolution.
Speaking ahead of the vote, Choe Myong-nam , a North Korean foreign ministry official rubbished the resolution, calling it a “compilation of groundless political accusations and contradictions” and “confrontational in nature”. He went on to warn of “unpredictable and serious consequences” adding that the resolution "is compelling us not to refrain any further from conducting nuclear tests."
"The outrageous and unreasonable human rights campaign staged by the United States and its followers in their attempts to eliminate the state and social system of (North Korea)," Choe Myong-nam added.
After the resolution was passed North Korea's Ambassador Sin So Ho went on to announce that "there was no further need for human rights dialogue" with the European Union, which alongside Japan, drafted the resolution.
"The sponsors and supporters of the draft resolution should be held responsible for all the consequences as they are the ones who have destroyed the opportunity and conditions for human rights cooperation," he said.