The letter said that the representatives of 14 countries comprising professors, doctors, scientists, lawyers and human rights activists met for an international seminar on Sept. 8, 2016 organized under the auspices of IIJI in Pyongyang unanimously decided to send a letter to the UN Secretary General requesting him to immediately lift the economic sanctions imposed by the UN against the DPRK.

It said that having witnessed the reality of the DPRK, the participants came to know that the anti-DPRK propaganda of the U.S. and the south Korean authorities that the DPRK's bolstering of its military capability is aimed to disturb international peace and disarmament is false.

It pointed out that the DPRK's bolstering of defense capability is aimed to thwart any aggression of hostile forces and safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

It went on:

The UN sanctions have adversely affected the life of the Korean people. This amounts to wanton violation of international law.

We think the economic sanctions imposed by the United Nations against the DPRK should be reviewed on humanitarian grounds to help and aid the country in recovering from the human and material damage caused by the recent gale force and flood in the northern part of the DPRK.

We appeal through the United Nations to the conscience of all people of the world not to form opinion about the DPRK on the basis of false propaganda spread by the U.S. and its allies.