Message by Mr. Marzuki Darusman, UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Addressed to Participants in the April 10 “Hidden Gulag” Conference
I would first like to apologize for not being able to attend this important conference. The work done by the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea over the years has been crucial to raise awareness about the human rights situation in the DPRK. I wish I could be with you at the Conference but I am already looking forward to be able to hopefully participate in the next edition.
The topic of the conference this year is an important one. I hope that this event will help work towards greater clarity on figures, location, cases and identification of victims. Tragically, as we all know, the situation of human rights in the DPRK remains bleak. For the last decades, egregious human rights abuses have been extensively documented by various actors, including the UN system. At this juncture, it would be timely to undertake a comprehensive review of this documentation to assess the underlying patterns and trends and consider the need for setting up a more detailed method of inquiry such as a Commission of Inquiry.
Last March, I presented my second report to the Human Rights Council. For the first time since the establishment of the mandate, the resolution was adopted without a vote which illustrates a general concern among member states over the plight of the people in the DPRK. It will be critical to maintain the present level of support for the resolution in the coming years, and to continue to seek ways of engaging the new leadership with the support of influential member states. In this regard, I am of the view that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) can play an important mediation role. The PRC should further encourage the DPRK to embrace reforms and engage with the international community at large. In the coming year, I am hoping to have more regular contacts with the Chinese authorities to discuss this matter.
I have been also calling for the revival of effective humanitarian assistance by the international community to the people of DPRK. Provisions of such humanitarian aid, while subject to “no access, no aid” policies, should not be made contingent upon any political requirements.
I will continue to impress on the international community to do all it can to assist the DPRK in meeting its dire humanitarian challenges and ensuring its population enjoys the right to food. I am pleased to see new channels of humanitarian assistance being put in place, and I hope the space and access for humanitarian actors will continue to expand.
I wish you a successful conference and look forward to hearing the results and recommendations from your deliberations.
Marzuki Darusman
