The United States has dropped a push for the United Nations Security Council to hold its fifth annual meeting on human rights abuses in North Korea this mo
UNITED NATIONS – The United States has dropped a push for the United Nations Security Council to hold its fifth annual meeting on human rights abuses in North Korea this month as it does not have enough support, diplomats said Friday.
At least nine countries on the 15-member body need to back a request for the meeting, which Pyongyang ally China has unsuccessfully tried to block for the past four years. But diplomats said only eight members supported calling the meeting this time around.
“It’s all about the numbers,” a diplomat said, suggesting that the minimum threshold of nine backers needed to proceed with a discussion in the chamber had not been met.
Although there were hopes earlier in the week that nine countries could be secured, the goal no longer appears to be attainable.
The United States did not officially confirm that the meeting would not be held, and expressed interest in pursuing it early next year if this month’s effort does not succeed.
“If we are unable to hold this important discussion this month, we hope to revisit holding this meeting in the new year,” a U.
