The third international conference on North Korea's human rights opened Wednesday in the Belgian capital of Brussels.

Organized by non-governmental organizations from the United States and Europe, the event will feature the screening of a documentary on the North's human rights situation and testimonies from two North Korean defectors.

Participants will also discuss the North's abductions of Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 80s.

On Thursday, the European Parliament will hold a hearing on the North's human rights in Brussels.