SEOUL, May 12: The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) will hold its first-ever high-level plenary meeting next week to address North Korea’s human rights abuses and violations, diplomatic and civic group sources confirmed on Monday.
In a letter circulated to member states, UNGA President Philemon Yang announced plans to convene the landmark meeting on May 20, in accordance with a UNGA resolution adopted in December 2024. This marks the first time the UNGA itself is hosting a high-level meeting dedicated solely to the North Korean human rights situation, Yonhap news agency reported.
While a similar high-level meeting was held in September 2014, it was co-hosted by the governments of South Korea and the United States, along with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, during a UNGA session.
The upcoming session gains significance amid ongoing concerns over Pyongyang’s rights record and a prolonged diplomatic gridlock. No new sanctions have been passed against North Korea since 2018. In May 2022, efforts by the United States to impose a fresh sanctions package on North Korea in response to its ballistic missile tests were vetoed by Russia and China at the UN Security Council.
A South Korean foreign ministry official told Yonhap News Agency that Seoul is currently reviewing options to dispatch a senior official to the meeting—potentially the country’s top envoy to the UN or another high-level representative.
The meeting is expected to draw broad international attention, particularly from nations and human rights groups that have long called for more robust action against the reclusive regime’s ongoing violations.
