Yi Whan-woo is a Korea Times journalist primarily covering finance. He writes in-depth articles on macroeconomy and financial markets and previously covered sports, politics, diplomacy and inter-Korean affairs, among others. Feel free to contact him at yistory@koreatimes.co.kr.
Cuba to oppose UN's North Korea resolution
By Yi Whan-woo
Cuba has revised a U.N. draft resolution against North Korea in an apparent bid to stop any attempt to accuse its ally of crimes against humanity, according to the Seoul government, Thursday.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Cuba planned to submit a revised draft that omitted the referral of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, the Netherlands.
The original version, which the European Union (EU) and Japan first circulated on Oct. 9, calls for the Pyongyang regime’s leaders, including Kim, to be prosecuted at the ICC for state-perpetrated human rights violations.
A U.N. source said Cuba explained that the referral of specific countries’ leaders to the ICC could set “risky precedents” for developing countries.
The source added that former and incumbent communist countries, including Cuba, China, Russia and Venezuela, had been opposing the U.N.’s move to adopt resolutions against North Korea, Iran, Syria and Myanmar on their human rights records.
According to the foreign ministry, the co-sponsors of the EU’s original draft are required to determine whether to accept such a revision.
It added that the co-sponsors included “several countries,” such as South Korea and the U.S.
If they decided to accept it, the Third Committee of the U.N. will vote to adopt either the original draft or the revised version, according to Seoul.
The Third Committee refers to the U.N. General Assembly’s Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Affairs Committee, which deals with a range of global human rights issues.
A U.N. source said Wednesday that the U.N. could convene a General Assembly between Nov. 17 and 26 at the earliest to adopt a resolution against North Korea.
Cuba’s move came amid growing international demands that North Korea improve its dire human rights situation.
The EU’s draft resolution is based on the U.N. Commission of Inquiry’s report on North Korea. Released in February, the report accused the North of running political prison camps where up to 120,000 people are thought to be detained.