Final UN vote tally
Christian Solidarity Worldwide
For immediate release
17 November 2006
CSW WELCOMES HEIGHTENED CENSURE OF NORTH KOREAN HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS BY THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
CSW welcomes the increased censure expressed by the UN General Assembly today in a vote on human rights in North Korea . The Third Committee of the UN body adopted its second resolution condemning the country’s record on human rights with a vote of 91 in favour of the resolution, 21 against and 60 abstentions.
The resolution, which expressed more robust criticism than last year’s text, not only attracted more votes than the 2005 resolution, but also more sponsors, with the number rising from 45 to 52.
Last year’s resolution passed in the Third Committee with 84 votes in favour, 22 against and 62 abstentions. The vote on the resolution in the plenary was 88 in favour, 21 against and 60 abstentions.
Particularly significant in today’s vote was the vote of South Korea in favour of the resolution, marking a dramatic departure from past practice. South Korea was absent for the first resolution on human rights in North Korea at the Commission on Human Rights in 2003 and subsequently abstained at the next two resolutions before the Commission in 2004 and 2005 and the first resolution before the General Assembly in 2005.
Amongst its comments in explaining today’s vote, South Korea stated that it voted for the resolution because there was an even greater need to focus on the human rights situation in the DPRK following its nuclear test.
The appointment of former South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki Moon as Secretary General-designate has been met with calls for him to robustly address the particularly grave human rights concerns in North Korea . The tabled resolution takes a new step in requesting the Secretary General to submit a comprehensive report on the situation in North Korea .
Human rights agencies are anxious to see the United Nations respond at appropriate levels to the gravity of the human rights situation in the country. With prison camp survivors testifying to extreme levels of brutality and dehumanisation in the country’s gulag system, estimated to contain around 200,000 prisoners, calls for effective action are pressing. Among the many additional human rights abuses addressed in the resolution are the use of torture, execution, arbitrary detention, violence against women, including forced abortions, infanticide, severe repression of freedoms of religion, expression, assembly and association and harsh punishments for leaving the country. The issue of North Korea ’s abduction of foreign nationals continues to attract specific international concern.
Elizabeth Batha, CSW’s International Advocate says: `CSW very much welcomes the broad international censure of North Korea ’s human rights abuses. While the eyes of the world have been focussed of late on the threat North Korea ’s leaders pose to the international community, it is critical that we address the very real and present suffering of those living under their daily control. North Korea must be left in no doubt about the resolve of the international community to see an end to its atrocities against its own people.’
For more information please contact Elizabeth Batha at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on 020 8329 0039 or email press@csw.org.uk or visit www.csw.org.uk [37]
CSW is a human rights organisation which specialises in religious freedom, works on behalf of those persecuted for their Christian beliefs and promotes religious liberty for all.
NOTES TO EDITORS
The text of the tabled resolution can be viewed at: http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=A/C.3/61/L.37 [38]
The UN report of the meeting and vote is available at: http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2006/gashc3874.doc.htm [39]
The report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the DPRK to the General Assembly is available at: http://unbisnet.un.org:8080/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1PY255716Y211.1606&menu=search&aspect=power&npp=50&ipp=20&spp=20&profile=bibga&ri=1&source=%7E%21horizon&index=.UD&term=a61349&aspect=power&x=15&y=10#focus [40]
North Korea has systematically refused to respond to past resolutions of the General Assembly and Commission on Human Rights and has failed to co-operate with the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the DPRK ( North Korea ), not only by denying access, but also by refusing to recognize the mandate. In addition, North Korea has refused to engage in technical co-operation activities with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
VOTE:
In favour:
Afghanistan, Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Belize, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Comoros, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Maldives, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Micronesia (Federated States of), Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Turkey, Tuvalu, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay.
Against:
Algeria, Belarus, China, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Libya, Myanmar, Namibia, Russian Federation, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Togo, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Zimbabwe.
Abstain:
Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guyana, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Yemen, Zambia.
Absent:
Armenia, Chad, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Grenada, Guinea, Kiribati, Mongolia, Oman, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Somalia, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Vanuatu.
Co-sponsors
1. Albania
2. Andorra
3. Australia
4. Austria
5. Belgium
6. Bosnia and Herzegovina
7. Bulgaria
8. Canada
9. Croatia
10. Cyprus
11. Czech Republic
12. Denmark
13. Estonia
14. Finland
15. France
16. Germany
17. Greece
18. Hungary
19. Honduras
20. Iceland
21. Ireland
22. Israel
23. Italy
24. Japan
25. Latvia
26. Liechtenstein
27. Lithuania
28. Luxembourg
29. The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
30. Malta
31. Republic of Moldova
32. Monaco
33. Montenegro
34. Micronesia
35. The Netherlands
36. New Zealand
37. Nicaragua
38. Norway
39. Palau
40. Poland
41. Portugal
42. Romania
43. Serbia
44. Slovakia
45. Slovenia
46. Spain
47. Sweden
48. Switzerland
49. Turkey
50. Tuvalu
51. The United Kingdom
52. The United States of America
