President Shin Hae-soo of the Korea Center for UN Human Rights Policy briefs officials from various countries on the human rights issues in North Korea at the UN Geneva Office during a side event held during the UN Human Rights Council’s fourth Universal Periodic Review on Nov. 6. (Yonhap)
A United Nations committee has voiced concern over the potential negative impact on North Korea’s human rights situation following the North’s decision to abandon its policy of seeking reunification with South Korea, a draft report showed Monday.
The UN General Assembly Third Committee, which deals with human rights and humanitarian affairs, made the reference to the shift in the North’s state policy in the latest draft resolution regarding the human rights violations in the reclusive state.
“Noting with concern the possible negative impact on the human rights situation, including that of separated families, following the announcement of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in January 2024 that it would no longer pursue reunification with the Republic of Korea … (the committee) condemns in the strongest terms the longstanding and ongoing systematic, widespread and gross violations of human rights in and by the DPRK,” the draft read.
The document referred to the two Koreas by their official names.
The draft report also expressed “very serious concerns” about the newly enacted laws in North Korea that further suppress freedom through “total control over organized social life.”
The proposal was referring to the Law on Rejecting Reactionary Thought and Culture, the Youth Education Guarantee Law and the Law on Protecting the Pyongyang Cultural Language of the DPRK.
The draft resolution called for “repealing or reforming” the laws suppressing the rights to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief, opinion and expression and others.
The proposal also requested the president of the General Assembly form a high-level plenary meeting to hear testimonies by civil society representatives and other experts to address the North’s human rights abuses and violations.
The Third Committee is scheduled to meet Wednesday (New York time) to adopt the draft resolution, which will then be submitted to the plenary session of the General Assembly later this year.
The committee has adopted resolutions calling for the North to improve human rights conditions every year since 2005. (Yonhap)
