The UN human rights chief has told the Security Council it is "essential" that the council refer North Korea's bleak human rights situation to the International Criminal Court, a proposition that the reclusive country views with alarm.
Zeid Raad al-Hussein spoke Thursday after China tried to keep the meeting from happening. China demanded a rare vote on whether to discuss the issue, saying the council is not the place to discuss human rights.
Russia, Venezuela and Angola backed China, but the United States and eight other countries voted to go forward.
U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power, the current council president, replied to the objections with an incredulous "Really?"
The council put North Korea's rights situation on its agenda a year ago, and this was its second meeting on the issue.
