Summary:
- The UN Human Rights Chief highlights how North Korea's illicit weapons program is being fueled by rights violations.
- Severe and widespread human rights violations in North Korea are interconnected with security">peace and security concerns in the region.
- The US envoy emphasizes that repression and cruelty drive Pyongyang's war machine.
- North Korea's regime exploits public resources for unlawful weapons programs due to repressive control and denial of human rights.
- The UN Secretary General proposes a multinational police force to address gang violence and insecurity in Haiti.
- Haitian citizens require security to lead normal lives amidst prevalent gang violence.
- International support is urged by the UN Secretary General to tackle the violence crisis in Haiti.
- World Humanitarian Day commemorates the sacrifice of UN staff and the ongoing dangers faced by aid workers globally.
The UN Human Rights Chief told a rare security council meeting Thursday on human rights in North Korea that the country's illicit weapons program is being fueled by rights violations, including forced labor and confiscated wages. The persistence of severe widespread and long-standing human rights violations in the DPRK cannot be seen in isolation from security">peace and security issues on the peninsula and within the wider region. The US envoy said Pyongyang's war machine is powered by repression and cruelty. Kim Young-un's repressive totalitarian control of society and the systemic widespread denial of human rights and fundamental freedoms ensures the regime can expend inordinate public resources, helping its unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs without public objection. In another development, the UN Secretary General has put forward options for a multinational police force to help Haiti curb brutal gang violence, which has displaced nearly 130,000 people. It's very clear that in many parts of Haiti, in particular in the capital and in the city of Soleil, within the capital, there's a crucial need for security just so that people can go about their daily lives without the threat of violence. And certainly, the Secretary General has been encouraging nations to step up.
North Korea's Illicit Weapons Program Fueled by Rights Violations
Severe Human Rights Violations Linked to Peace and Security
US Envoy Highlights Repression and Cruelty in North Korea
Repressive Control and Denial of Human Rights Fuel North Korea's Regime
UN Proposes Multinational Police Force to Tackle Haiti Gang Violence
Security Needed for Haitian Citizens Amidst Gang Violence
UN Secretary General Urges International Support for Haiti
World Humanitarian Day Remembers Fallen Aid Workers
Continued Perils Faced by Aid Workers Across the Globe
August 19 is World Humanitarian Day. The date is in remembrance of the 22 UN staff who were killed on this day 20 years ago when their bagged-out compound was struck by a suicide truck bomb attack. Aid workers continue to face dangers around the world. So far this year, 62 humanitarians have been killed, over 80 wounded and 34 kidnapped. Margaret Bashir, VOA News, The United Nations.