The international community’s concerted efforts to pressure North Korea on its human rights record is eliciting a response from the isolated state, demonstrating that continued and focused pressure may lead to a change in the human rights conditions there, even if only to a slight degree.
On Monday, U.N. human rights chief Marzuki Darusman met with four North Korean officials, the first time such a meeting took place since the office of rapporteur for North Korean human rights was established 10 years ago. During the meeting, the North Korean officials raised the possibility of allowing Darusman to visit North Korea. They also raised the possibility of a visit by the U.N. high commissioner for human rights.
The invitations were most likely floated as an attempt to stop North Korean leader Kim Jong-un from being brought to the International Court of Justice for human rights violations.
Darusman noted as much when he said during a news conference that the North Koreans made it clear that they wanted the mention of the ICC dropped from a draft U.N. resolution so that they “would be in a position to issue an invitation.”
Ever since the U.N. Commission of Inquiry released a damning report on the extensive, gross human rights violations in the North earlier this year, the international community has stepped up calls for improved human rights in the highly repressive regime.
Most recently, the European Union and Japan circulated a draft resolution calling on the U.N. to refer the North Korean human rights case to the ICC and the U.N. General Assembly may vote on it in mid-December.
The possibility of a U.N. human rights rapporteur or a U.N. high commissioner for human rights visiting North Korea is a surprising development and the U.S. said that it backs such a visit if it is transparent and the person is allowed to visit the prison camps. The Commission of Inquiry was unable to enter North Korea and relied on interviews with North Korean defectors in preparing its report.
It its current form, the nonbinding resolution urges the Security Council to consider referring the North Korean case to the ICC. It is uncertain if the Security Council would do so, given the likelihood that China would vote against it.
The flurry of activities by North Korea is a departure from its previous refusal to discuss the human rights issue. Indeed, if willingness to talk about the issue ― which it previously denied even existed ― is progress, then North Korea has made progress in recent months.
Such “progress” was made because of the international community’s concerted efforts and perhaps because of a better strategy after years of frustrating and often futile attempts to improve human rights conditions. By targeting the North where it would hurt the most, the international community has been at least able to elicit a response.
Even as it engages in a charm offensive, it is apparent that Pyongyang is trying to hoodwink the world. There are reports that North Korea is closing down its notorious Yeodok political prison camp, transferring its inmates to another camp near a military facility that is being expanded to accommodate the influx of additional inmates. At the same time, it is threatening high-profile North Korean defectors with video footage of their families. On Thursday, Pyongyang threatened to halt cooperation on human rights if the current draft resolution is presented to the U.N. General Assembly.
The world should not be tricked by Pyongyang into softening its resolve to hold Kim accountable for crimes against humanity. Seoul, meanwhile, should take note of the recent developments and do its part to pressure the North. Human rights is not a matter of ideology, it is a universal right to which everyone is entitled.
On Monday, U.N. human rights chief Marzuki Darusman met with four North Korean officials, the first time such a meeting took place since the office of rapporteur for North Korean human rights was established 10 years ago. During the meeting, the North Korean officials raised the possibility of allowing Darusman to visit North Korea. They also raised the possibility of a visit by the U.N. high commissioner for human rights.
The invitations were most likely floated as an attempt to stop North Korean leader Kim Jong-un from being brought to the International Court of Justice for human rights violations.
Darusman noted as much when he said during a news conference that the North Koreans made it clear that they wanted the mention of the ICC dropped from a draft U.N. resolution so that they “would be in a position to issue an invitation.”
Ever since the U.N. Commission of Inquiry released a damning report on the extensive, gross human rights violations in the North earlier this year, the international community has stepped up calls for improved human rights in the highly repressive regime.
Most recently, the European Union and Japan circulated a draft resolution calling on the U.N. to refer the North Korean human rights case to the ICC and the U.N. General Assembly may vote on it in mid-December.
The possibility of a U.N. human rights rapporteur or a U.N. high commissioner for human rights visiting North Korea is a surprising development and the U.S. said that it backs such a visit if it is transparent and the person is allowed to visit the prison camps. The Commission of Inquiry was unable to enter North Korea and relied on interviews with North Korean defectors in preparing its report.
It its current form, the nonbinding resolution urges the Security Council to consider referring the North Korean case to the ICC. It is uncertain if the Security Council would do so, given the likelihood that China would vote against it.
The flurry of activities by North Korea is a departure from its previous refusal to discuss the human rights issue. Indeed, if willingness to talk about the issue ― which it previously denied even existed ― is progress, then North Korea has made progress in recent months.
Such “progress” was made because of the international community’s concerted efforts and perhaps because of a better strategy after years of frustrating and often futile attempts to improve human rights conditions. By targeting the North where it would hurt the most, the international community has been at least able to elicit a response.
Even as it engages in a charm offensive, it is apparent that Pyongyang is trying to hoodwink the world. There are reports that North Korea is closing down its notorious Yeodok political prison camp, transferring its inmates to another camp near a military facility that is being expanded to accommodate the influx of additional inmates. At the same time, it is threatening high-profile North Korean defectors with video footage of their families. On Thursday, Pyongyang threatened to halt cooperation on human rights if the current draft resolution is presented to the U.N. General Assembly.
The world should not be tricked by Pyongyang into softening its resolve to hold Kim accountable for crimes against humanity. Seoul, meanwhile, should take note of the recent developments and do its part to pressure the North. Human rights is not a matter of ideology, it is a universal right to which everyone is entitled.
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