UNITED NATIONS THIRD COMMITTEE: INTERACTIVE DIALOGUE: SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF KOREA
29 October 2024
Thank you Chair.
Australia remains gravely concerned by the human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
It is disappointing that in the same year we mark ten years since the UN Commission of Inquiry on North Korean Human Rights found evidence of crimes against humanity [based on state policies, access to North Korea for UN special procedures mandate holders has not improved, and] the overall human rights situation has only deteriorated. We continue to call on the DPRK to respect, protect and fulfil the human rights of North Koreans and hold to account those who commit violations and abuses.
We are deeply troubled by the Special Rapporteur’s report’s findings of enforced disappearances, torture, and other cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of forcibly repatriated individuals.
Australia calls on all actors to respect the principle of non-refoulement for people from the DPRK who are at risk of torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment upon repatriation.
As one of the most isolated countries in the world, a lack of reliable and verifiable information from the DPRK, exacerbated by a lack of access for UN officials, has constrained the international community’s ability to monitor its human rights situation and take effective action.
Australia strongly urges the international community to speak up in the face of human rights violations and use every opportunity to call out these crimes and pursue pathways for accountability.
Australia proudly partners with civil society organisations in Seoul and around the world, to increase visibility and understanding of the human rights situation in the DPRK.
In doing so, we support the recommendation of the Special Rapporteur’s report that victims and survivors must be at the centre of accountability efforts.
And we recognise that civil society partnerships often represent an important method of non-judicial accountability for those who have experienced human rights violations in the DPRK.
Australia asks: how can we improve reporting on the whereabouts, health, and human rights of those forcibly repatriated?
Thank you.