China and Russia opposed plans to hold a special Security Council meeting on human rights in North Korea.
A meeting headed by the United States has been backed by nine of the 15 council members, including Chile, France, Jordan, Lithuania, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain, Britain and the United States.
Speaking to Reuters, one diplomat said,
“China informed the council members that the Security Council has no business with human rights but should look at matters of international peace and security.”
Last month, China’s UN ambassador Liu Kieyi said it would be a bad idea for the security council to hold such a meeting.
Russia are noted to also have raised a procedural complaint on the North Korea meeting.
A year ago the UN General Assembly urged the Security Council to consider referring North-Korea to the International Criminal Court after a UN Commission Inquiry detailed wide ranging human rights abuses.
A meeting headed by the United States has been backed by nine of the 15 council members, including Chile, France, Jordan, Lithuania, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain, Britain and the United States.
Speaking to Reuters, one diplomat said,
“China informed the council members that the Security Council has no business with human rights but should look at matters of international peace and security.”
Last month, China’s UN ambassador Liu Kieyi said it would be a bad idea for the security council to hold such a meeting.
Russia are noted to also have raised a procedural complaint on the North Korea meeting.
A year ago the UN General Assembly urged the Security Council to consider referring North-Korea to the International Criminal Court after a UN Commission Inquiry detailed wide ranging human rights abuses.