Korea Future has achieved a significant victory in securing key amendments to this year’s United Nations Human Rights Council (UN HRC) resolution on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The impact of these amendments is threefold:
Comprehensive Recognition of the DPRK's Penal System: For the first time, the UN HRC resolution acknowledges the entirety of the DPRK's penal system, which includes political prison camps, re-education camps, labour training camps, labour training centres, detention centres, holding centres, and waiting rooms. The amendments (cited in Paragraphs 1e & 2g) of widespread human rights violations within these facilities extends beyond the United Nations Commission of Inquiry’s (COI) 2014 report, which did not fully recognise the scope of the penal system. This critical inclusion not only enhances the documentation of human rights abuses within the DPRK’s penal infrastructure but also sets the stage for increased accountability measures for these violations.
Demand for Halting Human Rights Violations in the Entire Penal System: The resolution explicitly demands the immediate cessation of all human rights violations across the entire penal system (Paragraph 2g), signifying a direct call to action for the DPRK and the international community.
Focus on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV): The resolution now emphasises the need for the DPRK to acknowledge and urgently address SGBV against forcibly repatriated women in detention and calls for transparency regarding the treatment of women as a particularly vulnerable group within these settings (Paragraph 2m).
These amendments underscore a significant advancement in Korea Future's efforts to spotlight and rectify human rights issues within the DPRK penal system, demonstrating the tangible impact of our documentation and advocacy work. By ensuring the resolution’s acknowledgment of the full penal system and the specific challenges faced by women in detention, Korea Future has contributed to a more accurate representation of human rights violations in the DPRK and has laid the groundwork for more effective accountability.
The achievements highlighted underscore the significant impact of advocacy grounded in detailed and comprehensive investigations. The foundational basis of our efforts stems from investigations conducted by our team, which encompassed 571 in-person interviews with survivors, witnesses, and former state agents. Our inquiries enabled us to document 8,718 incidents of human rights violations and compile information of 1,345 individuals who were detained.
Our efforts have not only brought to light the extensive human rights violations within the DPRK's penal system but also paved the way for international recognition and action. As we move forward, this foundation of meticulously gathered information will continue to guide our endeavours to promote accountability, justice, and the protection of human rights in the DPRK. Our commitment remains steadfast—to enable meaningful justice for victims and accountability for perpetrators in the DPRK.
