UN: NKorean nuke issue effects for human rights

The special UN envoy on North Korean human rights on Wednesday urged a quick resolution of the nuclear standoff as a step toward improving human rights in the isolated communist dictatorship. Vitit Muntarbhorn said resolving the international dispute over North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons would clear the way for dialogue on its human rights situation, which is widely criticized by foreign activists. "A positive development on that front will contribute to the space for humanitarian action," Muntarbhorn said. "There is (an implied) ... impact of one on the other."