UN Human Rights Council Adopts Outcome Report of Universal Periodic Review on North Korea and Resolution on the Situation of Human Rights in North Korea

The 13th session of the UN Human Rights Council (1st-26th March, Geneva) adopted the Outcome Report of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on North Korea on March 18 and a resolution on the situation of human rights in North Korea on March 25 (local time).

The Outcome Report consists of a report of the UPR Working Group on North Korea, which was adopted on December 9, 2009, following the review process on December 7, 2009, and an annex containing main contents of statement by North Korea during the discussion on the UPR on March 18.

North Korea, represented by Ambassador to Geneva Ri Chol, repeatedly expressed its rejection to 50 recommendations, including allowing Special Rapporteur on North Korean Human Rights to visit North Korea and stopping public executions, torture, labor camp operations and the punishment of North Koreans forcibly repatriated, among a total of 167 recommendations made during the UPR on December 7, 2009.

When the report of the UPR Working Group was adopted on December 9, 2009, North Korea rejected 50 main recommendations, including allowing Special Rapporteur on North Korean Human Rights to visit North Korea and stopping public executions, and said that it would consider the remaining recommendations in the future.

Regarding this, Ambassador to Geneva Lee Sung-joo representing the Korean government expressed in his remarks disappointment and concern, along with representatives from the US and Japan, and hoped that North Korea accepts the UPR recommendations with the spirit of dialogue and cooperation. He also called on the international community to abide by the principle of non-refoulement, and stressed that the issue of POWs and abductees should be resolved as soon as possible, respecting voluntary intentions of persons concerned.

The resolution on the situation of human rights in North Korea was passed by 28 votes (including the ROK) to 5, with 13 abstentions, in the 47-member Council.

Resolutions on the situation of human rights in North Korea had been adopted by a vote at the UN Commission on Human Rights, the predecessor of the Human Rights Council, from 2003-2005, at the UN General Assembly from 2005-2009, and at the UN Human Rights Council from 2008-2009. In 2009, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on human rights in North Korea by 26 votes to 6, with 15 abstentions.

In accordance with the basic stance on the North Korean human rights issue that “human rights are universal values of mankind and need to be dealt with per se, separate from other issues,” the Korean government co-sponsored the resolution for the second consecutive year. The resolution was co-sponsored by a total of 43 countries, 12 Council members (including the ROK) and 31 non-members.

This year’s resolution on human rights in North Korea contains provisions similar to those included in last year’s resolution such as concern of grave violations of human rights in North Korea.