THE world's boldest effort yet to hold North Korea and its leader Kim Jong Un accountable for alleged crimes against humanity has moved forward at the UN, where a Pyongyang envoy threatened further nuclear tests.

The UN human rights committee agrred to urge the Security Council to refer the state's human rights breaches to the International Criminal Court.

The resolution now goes to the world body's General Assembly for a vote in the coming weeks. China and Russiahold veto power on the council and voted against it.

The resolution was inspired by a UN report early this year which said North Korea's human rights situation "exceeds all others in duration, intensity and horror".