SW News: In response to a joint request made by the United States, Albania, and Japan, the United Nations Security Council has scheduled a public meeting on August 17. The purpose of this meeting is to address the issue of human rights abuses in North Korea, a matter of significant concern.

The forthcoming meeting will be the 15-member council's first official public gathering on this topic since 2017. In response to the charges of abuse, North Korea has categorically denied any wrongdoing and blamed Western sanctions for the country's grave humanitarian circumstances.

In a joint statement, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield acknowledged that a significant period of time has passed and made allegations regarding the government's alleged human rights atrocities and abuses. She further said that these actions are believed to contribute to the advancement of the government's illegal weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs.

As noted by Thomas-Greenfield, the council will hear from UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk and UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the DPRK Elizabeth Salmon during its meeting on Thursday.

The Security Council has been unable to act since Russia and China, who have excellent relations with North Korea, rejected a US-backed resolution in May 2022 that would have increased sanctions after a succession of intercontinental ballistic missile launches. As a result, the council is unlikely to act at its meeting next week.

China and Russia may opt out of the open meeting since it needs the support of at least nine of the 15 council members. So, in an unusual change of events, it looks that the council will take no action at its forthcoming meeting next week.