U.N. body urges Pyongyang to cooperate with U.N. point man on N. Korean human rights: report

SEOUL, June 7 (Yonhap) -- United Nations human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein has called on North Korea to cooperate with the U.N. point man on the North Korean human rights situation, Voice of America reported Wednesday.

VOA's Korea Service said Zeid, the high commissioner for human rights, made the remarks at the opening of the U.N. Human Rights Council's session in Geneva on Tuesday, adding many countries are not cooperating with his office.

Zeid criticized North Korea for rejecting the council's resolutions on the appointment of the U.N. special rapporteur on North Korea and repeatedly turning down visits to the North by the special rapporteur.

U.N. human rights experts, including U.N. Special Rapporteur on North Korea Tomas Ojea Quintana and his predecessor Marzuki Darusman, had arranged for visits to the North to investigate alleged crimes against humanity in the country, but they were not able to do so due to the North's objection.

The report also said Zeid welcomed the North's agreement last month to a visit by a U.N. human rights expert for the first time ever. North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un allowed Catalina Devandas-Aguilar, the special rapporteur on the rights of people with disabilities, to visit Pyongyang and South Hwanghae Province.

Considering the human rights situation in the North, Zeid said the visit to the North by the special rapporteur on the rights of people with disabilities doesn't make up for North Korea's lack of cooperation with the U.N. special rapporteur on North Korea, his office and the U.N. office on North Korea's human rights in South Korea.

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