North Korea has agreed to host a UN rights expert for the first time, granting access next week to the special rapporteur on disabled people's rights, the world body said yesterday
Geneva: North Korea has agreed to host a UN rights expert for the first time, granting access next week to the special rapporteur on disabled people's rights, the world body said yesterday. Catalina Devandas-Aguilar is scheduled to arrive in the isolated nation on May 3, following an invitation from Pyongyang, the UN rights office said.
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Her visit "will be the first ever to the country by an independent expert designated by the UN Human Rights Council," the statement said.
The rights council has accused North Korea of committing crimes against humanity and detaining up to 1.2 lakh people in brutal prison camps.
The regime last month boycotted a rights council session scrutinising its record.
Devandas-Aguilar said the upcoming visit marked an important chance to study the situation in the country, with a particular focus on children living with disabilities. "My upcoming visit to DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) represents a key opportunity to learn firsthand about national realities, laws, policies and programmes concerning people with disabilities," she said.