Good afternoon and welcome to the second conference held by the International Coalition to Stop Crimes against Humanity in North Korea. The ICNK was formed last September in Tokyo, and is composed of over 40 human rights organizations and activists from the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. Many thanks to all of you for taking the time to be here.

Our purpose here is serious. It is a matter of life and death: the lives of those North Koreans currently threatened by the Pyongyang government of the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea, and the lives that may be lost in the years ahead. As human rights activists, it is our solemn responsibility to make every effort to protect the North Korean people and to stop the abuses and violations they suffer.

In our first working session today, we will hear from relatives of North Koreans who have been apprehended and consigned to prison camps. We will then examine the possibilities for addressing these violations through relevant mechanisms of the United Nations. Finally, you will be challenged to make commitments for your own action during 2012.

While our business here is earnest, we should never be discouraged. The arc of history is clearly tending toward the realization of universal human rights. While freedom for North Koreans may not come tomorrow, it will come.

Thank You