(RepublicanDaily.org) – The “hermit kingdom” of North Korea will reportedly have a seat on the United Nations World Food Organization Executive Board, despite a history of using food as a weapon against the nation’s people. Earlier in 2023, reports out of Seoul, South Korea indicated that the North Korean regime’s food crisis had grown worse, as food shortages were driven by the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic on the nation.
The election of North Korea was confirmed by the United Nations on May 25 in an official announcement of member countries. The announcement listed the UN members that were entitled to “designate” a person to serve on the executive board of the World Health Assembly.
North Korea’s appointment to the World Food Programme, which is maintained by the World Health Organization triggered outrage from watchdog groups. UN Watch called the appointed role a “leading role” and explained that North Korea, a regime that threatens the world at large with nuclear strikes and starves its citizens, should not be allowed to run for such a role, much less be elected for it.
Human rights lawyer and UN critic Hillel Neuer called out the suspicious election, noting that there were many other qualified countries that were not included in the list. For example, Neuer noted that Taiwan is a world health leader but was barred entry, and Israel is a biotechnology innovator that was “singled out for censure.” Neuer expressed disgust that North Korea could be appointed and elected for such a position given its history.
Neuer was joined in an outcry by many colleagues on Twitter. Timothy Cho, who is an inquiry clerk for the UK all-party parliamentary group on North Korea, described the decision to elect North Korea as “unbelievable.” Cho called into question how North Korea could even be voted for under such circumstances, considering the nation has a poor health system and is unable to “protect its people” from continuing “crimes against humanity.”
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