Japan on Tuesday appointed its ambassador to Norway as special envoy for overseeing human rights issues, including North Korea's abductions of Japanese citizens, government officials said.
Foreign Minister Taro Aso named Fumiko Saiga, the current ambassador to Norway, to the new ambassadorial human rights post.
The post is apparently aimed at drumming up international support for resolving the issue of North Korea's abductions, and also follows U.S. President George W. Bush's appointment in August of Jay Lefkowits as his special envoy on human rights.
A senior Foreign Ministry official said earlier that the purpose of the new post is to deal with matters related to the third committee of the United Nations General Assembly and the U.N. Human Rights Commission in Geneva.
North Korea, which admits it abducted Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s, has criticized the plan.
Japan and North Korea are in conflict over cremated remains the North gave to Japan, claiming they were those of abductee Megumi Yokota in November 2004.
Japan says DNA analysis shows the remains are not those of Yokota but of two unknown people.
Tokyo also seeks information on the whereabouts of several other Japanese believed abducted to the North.
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