In report, Antonio Guterres endorses ‘non-traditional justice pathways’ citing increasing repression of basic freedoms
By Shreyas Reddy
September 4, 2024
Credits @FFHR.CZ
The U.N. secretary-general has called for efforts to hold North Korea accountable for human rights violations through “non-traditional justice pathways,” citing the failure to prosecute possible crimes against humanity amid increased repression of fundamental freedoms.
In a wide-ranging report released Tuesday, Antonio Guterres repeated long-standing concerns regarding the DPRK’s food security, arbitrary detention and torture and lack of engagement with the U.N., but also drew attention to the country’s partial reopening after the pandemic.
To overcome North Korea’s “inaction” on human rights, Guterres called for accountability through “non-traditional justice pathways, such as reparations, truth telling and memorialization.”
The report emphasized the need for accountability, noting that 10 years after the U.N. Commission of Inquiry (COI) identified possible crimes against humanity in North Korea, there are still no signs of perpetrators being investigated or prosecuted.
The report to the U.N. General Assembly, which covers the period from July 2023 to May 2024, also highlighted food shortages as a major concern. U.N. estimates suggest nearly half of the population is food insecure, with reports of starvation in some areas due to food scarcity.
Guterres said North Korean authorities appear to be trying to address the food situation by paying more attention to agricultural production and imports, but have simultaneously tried to limit the role of jangmadang, or small-scale local markets used by many residents.
“The situation raises concerns of possible violations of the right to adequate food,” he warned, while urging the international community to “cooperate in providing humanitarian assistance.”
The report also noted that engagement with Pyongyang has not fundamentally improved despite the partial reopening of borders in Aug. 2023, as most foreign missions and international organizations have yet to be allowed back in.
However, the easing of pandemic restrictions has coincided with an on-year increase in the number of escapees entering South Korea, as well as limited diplomatic engagement between the DPRK and select countries.
Citing Seoul’s unification ministry, the report noted that 196 escapees, including 164 women, entered South Korea in 2023, along with 43 more in the first quarter of 2024, a significant increase from the 67 new arrivals in all of 2022.
Most of the new escapees left the DPRK before the pandemic, but 13 people fled directly to the South by boat since last year.
While the report largely echoed similar concerns to the 2023 report, other observed changes over the past year have “entirely defied expectations,” according to Nam Bada, the director of the human rights nonprofit PSCORE.
“North Korea has tightened border controls, sought to exert state control over all business activities and continued the exploitation of its overseas workers,” he told NK News.
He added that Pyongyang’s support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shows that it is “further entrenching itself as a problematic state” rather than improving human rights
CONTINUING CONCERNS
The report largely reiterated ongoing human rights abuses in North Korea and the application of increasingly stringent restrictions, such as the Law on Rejecting Reactionary Thought and Culture, which prohibits the consumption or distribution of foreign content.
Guterres expressed alarm over North Korea’s use of the death penalty for a wide range of offenses that fall short of what international law would deem the “most serious crimes,” including alleged executions for watching or distributing foreign media.
The U.N. chief also highlighted severe restrictions on freedom of movement, both within North Korea and across its borders.
The report notes the treatment of North Koreans who leave the country without permission, stating they face “the risk of torture, arbitrary application of the death penalty and other serious human rights violations if they are forcibly returned.”
In particular, Guterres noted the forced repatriation of hundreds of North Koreans from China since last August and said these individuals face a “real risk of torture, arbitrary detention, or other serious human rights violations” upon returning to the DPRK.
Other concerns include harsh conditions for overseas workers trapped abroad during the pandemic, forced labor, arbitrary detention, torture and political prison camps.
Despite these challenges, the report noted Pyongyang’s rare instances of active engagement with U.N. rights mechanisms, such as its Dec. 2023 submission to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
TACKLING THE ISSUES
The secretary-general outlined 15 recommendations for the DPRK government to address its human rights issues, including investigating and prosecuting those accused of committing human rights violations.
He also urged North Korea to release all political prisoners, cease arbitrary arrests and end the use of torture and forced labor, among other measures.
The U.N. chief called on the international community to pursue “principled, consistent and sustained engagement” with Pyongyang on human rights issues, alongside efforts to advance human rights, protect North Korean escapees and minimize the adverse humanitarian impacts of sanctions.
Nam of PSCORE said the U.N. and the international community have limited avenues for action, with even the Security Council unable to advance the COI’s recommendations like referring North Korea to the International Criminal Court.
“While North Korea currently rejects such efforts, there have been times when it sought humanitarian aid or the transfer of new technology,” he said. “When such opportunities arise, it is important to link these to improvements in human rights and work together to achieve progress.”
The secretary-general’s report comes as North Korea’s human rights record is scheduled to face scrutiny with its fourth Universal Periodic Review by the U.N. Human Rights Council in Nov. 2024.
Nam said several civil society organizations dealing with North Korean human rights have issued recommendations for the upcoming review, but stressed that the focus should also be on Pyongyang’s failure to implement repeated proposals.
“Even if North Korea claims to have implemented these recommendations by its own standards, many fall short of international human rights norms,” he said.
“It is essential for U.N. members to collectively push North Korea toward policies that align with global human rights standards.”
Edited by Alannah Hill
Source: nknews.org
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