North Korea on Monday asked the United Nations Security Council to add the issue of torture by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency to its agenda as the council prepares to hold a meeting next week on alleged human rights abuses by the Asian state.
The council is due to meet on Dec. 22 or Dec. 23 on human rights in North Korea after two-thirds of the 15-members pushed for the issue to be added to the body's agenda. A U.N. report in February detailed abuses in North Korea that it said were comparable to Nazi-era atrocities.
Once an issue is on the Security Council agenda, it can be discussed at any time. Majority support is needed to add an item to the agenda and cannot be blocked by the five veto-wielding powers — China, Russia, the United States, France and Britain.