UN simultaneously issed two reports on the DPRK

The first report is by Vitit Muntarbhorn, a Bangkok law professor who works pro bono as the U.N.’s special rapporteur on human rights in the DPRK.  Download the Muntarbhorn Report here (PDF).

The second report is from the office of secretary General Ban-ki Moon. Download the Moon report here (PDF).

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The Muntarbhorn report is titled “Situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea”.  Here is the summary:

This report covers the period from the latter part of 2008 to mid-2009. The analysis points to an array of rights and freedoms which are violated egregiously by the authorities on a daily basis, much to the pain and suffering of the ordinary population. The violations are evidently widespread, systematic and abhorrent in their impact and implications. The freedoms from want, from fear, from discrimination, from persecution and from exploitation are regrettably transgressed with impunity by those authorities, in an astonishing setting of abuse after abuse, multiplied incessantly. They compromise and threaten not only human rights, but also international peace and security. To counter these violations, the Special Rapporteur’s urgent call for action demands comprehensive responses at all levels, national and international.

The authorities in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea are advised to take measures to respond effectively with regard to the right to freedom from want by ensuring effective provision of and access to food and other basic necessities for those in need and to cooperate constructively with United Nations agencies and other humanitarian actors on the issue; to enable people to undertake economic activities to satisfy their basic needs and supplement their livelihood without State interference; to respect the right to freedom from persecution by ending the punishment of those who seek asylum abroad and who are sent back to the country, and by instructing officials clearly to avoid the detention and inhumane treatment of such persons; to address the fear factor in the country by terminating public executions and abuses against security of the person by means of law reform, clearer instructions to law enforcers to respect human rights, and related capacity-building and monitoring of their work to ensure accountability; to cooperate effectively to resolve the issue of foreigners abducted to the country; to respond constructively to the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur; and to institute a democratic process, shifting the military budget to the social sector.

The international community is invited to underline concretely the need for an integrated approach to overcome the exploitation of the people by the State authorities by advocating for a “people first” rather than the current “military first” policy, coupled with an equitable development process; and to enable the totality of the United Nations system to activate measures to overcome key violations and help guarantee fundamental freedoms in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

The report by Mr. Moon’s office is ALSO titled, “Situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea”.  Here is the summary:

The present report is submitted pursuant to paragraph 6 of General Assembly resolution 63/190.

The Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has not recognized the resolutions adopted by the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. It continues not to accept technical assistance from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and has not granted access to the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, appointed by the Human Rights Council. This situation has not allowed the Secretary-General to obtain the information necessary to report in full to the General Assembly regarding the subject in question.

The Secretary-General notes with serious concern continuing reports that the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea remains grave and that the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has not taken significant steps to address persistent reports of systematic and widespread human rights violations and to provide safeguards for human rights. He highlights the fact that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea continues to face complex humanitarian problems which hamper the fulfilment of human rights. The Secretary- General is deeply concerned at the continued decline of food assistance made available by the international community, despite the worsening shortage of food reported by humanitarian agencies.

The status of the engagement and cooperation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea with international human rights mechanisms such as the treaty bodies, the special procedures and the universal periodic review of the Human Rights Council is outlined in the report. The report also contains updates submitted by other United Nations agencies concerning the right to food, the right to health, the rights of the child and the rights of refugees.

The Secretary-General urges the Government to provide safeguards for human rights and ensure domestic legal reform, in accordance with its international treaty obligations. He calls again upon the Government to engage with OHCHR in technical cooperation and to cooperate with the Special Rapporteur on the situation on human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. He further calls upon the Government to prioritize its resources in order to address the humanitarian needs of its population and to consider allowing United Nations agencies and their humanitarian partners on the ground to increase their operations, with appropriate monitoring conditions. The Secretary-General urges the international community to uphold its commitment to protecting human rights and helping address the critical humanitarian needs of the citizens of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. He strongly encourages all parties concerned to commit themselves in bilateral and multilateral settings to facilitating increased dialogue and cooperation on human rights.

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