UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) – The Security Council held a meeting on Thursday to discuss the human rights situation in North Korea, despite objections from China, Russia, Venezuela and Angola.
"The focus should be on resuming six party negotiations. Today’s meeting only takes us further away from that task," Evgeniy Zagaynov said late Thursday, noting that human rights issues do not fall within the mandate of the UNSC.
The deputy envoy raised questions of transparency, noting that the request to convene the meeting was circulated "just two days" after the adoption of the USNC’s monthly program of work.
"The authors of the request didn’t connect this request to any events that occurred in the meantime. In other words, this issue was intentionally left out of the process on the program of work," he stressed.
In calling for the revival of six-way talks, Zagaynov brought to mind the Iranian nuclear deal as an example of successful resolutions to "the most complex issues" based on "good faith."
In 2003, North Korea withdrew from the international Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), intended to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons manufacturing and possible use. Following Pyongyang's withdrawal, the so-called Six-Party Talks were launched to ease the threat posed by North Korea's nuclear program through negotiations involving Russia, China, the United States, South Korea and Japan.
Pyongyang declared itself a nuclear power in 2005 and walked out of six-party talks after conducting a series of nuclear weapon tests nearly four years later.
On Thursday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un announced the possession of a hydrogen bomb through state media.
