The U.N. Security Council on Monday took up the issue of human rights in North Korea, with the body's human rights chief saying the worsening security situation in the region is hurting efforts to bring home Japanese nationals abducted by the reclusive state.

"No progress has been made regarding cases of international abductions and enforced disappearances," U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein told the 15 members at the formal discussion.

"Efforts to locate 12 Japanese nationals and 516 nationals of the Republic of Korea have been hampered by the deteriorating security situation," he said.