A total of 45 countries sponsored a new U.N. General Assembly resolution that centers on calling for referring North Korea to the International Criminal Court for human rights violations, the draft resolution showed.

The proposed resolution, led by the European Union and Japan, was introduced to the General Assembly's Third Committee on Oct. 30. Other co-sponsors included South Korea, the United States, Britain, Australia and Germany, according to the resolution.

The nine-page draft is largely similar to the landmark resolution that was adopted at last year's General Assembly with a call for referring the North's human rights situation to the ICC for the first time. Just like last year's resolution, this year's also calls for the ICC referral.

"The General Assembly ... encourages the Security Council to continue its consideration of the relevant conclusions and recommendations of the commission of inquiry and take appropriate action to ensure accountability, including through consideration of the referral of the situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to the International Criminal Court," the resolution said.

The resolution also calls for "effective targeted sanctions against those who appear to be most responsible for acts that the commission has said may constitute crimes against humanity" and encourages the Security Council to continue discussions and active engagement on the issue.

The proposed resolution is expected to be put to a vote at the Third Committee later this month, sometime between Nov. 16-20. If approved by the committee, it is expected to be formally adopted at the General Assembly next month.

The move to adopt a new resolution is expected to anger North Korea.

But chances are not high for the Security Council to actually refer the issue to the ICC because China and Russia, which have friendlier ties with North Korea than any other countries, are expected to veto such a move. Still the resolution played a great role in drawing international attention to the issue.

North Korea has long been labeled one of the worst human rights violators. The communist regime does not tolerate dissent, holds hundreds of thousands of people in political prison camps and keeps tight control over outside information.

But the North has bristled at such criticism, calling it a U.S.-led attempt to topple its regime.

In June, the State Department said in its annual human rights report that the North's human rights record "remained among the worst in the world" last year, with public executions, political prison camps, torture and other abuses taking place in the country. (Yonhap)