On April 8, 2024, NKDB and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) jointly submitted its civil society report during the fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on North Korea. This marks their continued collaboration aimed at raising global awareness of human rights issues in the country.
Since the DPRK’s third UPR cycle in 2019, NKDB has been actively monitoring and documenting human rights conditions in North Korea by gathering testimonies from witnesses and experts, as well as examining changes in domestic laws. A comprehensive overview of NKDB’s monitoring can be found in its latest report Third Time’s a Charm?
The joint report highlights the deteriorating human rights situation in North Korea, pointing out the country's failure to implement UPR recommendations it accepted on the right to a fair trial and to freedom of opinion and expression.
The fourth UPR of North Korea at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, is scheduled for November 2024. The collaboration between NKDB and FIDH serves as a message to the North Korean government to utilize the UPR cycle and take tangible steps to improve human rights conditions, as well as engage in dialogue with the international community at the Human Rights Council.
Moreover, the joint report concluded with several recommendations for the DPRK which can be summarized as follows.
Ensure fair and transparent criminal procedures in accordance with relevant laws and provide effective legal assistance and defense at all stages of the proceedings.
Incorporate human rights education into the training of Ministry of State Security officers.
Repeal the Reactionary Thought and Culture Rejection Law, the Youth Education Guarantee Law, and the Pyongyang Cultural Language Protection Act, and decriminalize actions that amount to the legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of opinion and expression including free access to media and information.
Guarantee the freedom of movement in the widest sense possible, such as enabling the flow of essential goods and the freedom of person movement in and out of North Korea including the release of all individuals who have been forcibly repatriated to the DPRK from China.
The joint report reaffirms the collective advocacy for human rights in North Korea from the international community, including governments, organizations, and individuals, who continue to raise awareness for the rights of the North Korean people.
Please find detailed information about the NKDB and FIDH jointly submitted report regarding the DPRK’s UPR session in the attached file.
On April 8, 2024, NKDB and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) jointly submitted its civil society report during the fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on North Korea. This marks their continued collaboration aimed at raising global awareness of human rights issues in the country.
Since the DPRK’s third UPR cycle in 2019, NKDB has been actively monitoring and documenting human rights conditions in North Korea by gathering testimonies from witnesses and experts, as well as examining changes in domestic laws. A comprehensive overview of NKDB’s monitoring can be found in its latest report Third Time’s a Charm?
The joint report highlights the deteriorating human rights situation in North Korea, pointing out the country's failure to implement UPR recommendations it accepted on the right to a fair trial and to freedom of opinion and expression.
The fourth UPR of North Korea at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, is scheduled for November 2024. The collaboration between NKDB and FIDH serves as a message to the North Korean government to utilize the UPR cycle and take tangible steps to improve human rights conditions, as well as engage in dialogue with the international community at the Human Rights Council.
Moreover, the joint report concluded with several recommendations for the DPRK which can be summarized as follows.
The right to a fair trial:
Ensure fair and transparent criminal procedures in accordance with relevant laws and provide effective legal assistance and defense at all stages of the proceedings.
Incorporate human rights education into the training of Ministry of State Security officers.
The right to freedom of opinion and expression:
Repeal the Reactionary Thought and Culture Rejection Law, the Youth Education Guarantee Law, and the Pyongyang Cultural Language Protection Act, and decriminalize actions that amount to the legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of opinion and expression including free access to media and information.
Freedom of movement
Guarantee the freedom of movement in the widest sense possible, such as enabling the flow of essential goods and the freedom of person movement in and out of North Korea including the release of all individuals who have been forcibly repatriated to the DPRK from China.
The joint report reaffirms the collective advocacy for human rights in North Korea from the international community, including governments, organizations, and individuals, who continue to raise awareness for the rights of the North Korean people.
Please find detailed information about the NKDB and FIDH jointly submitted report regarding the DPRK’s UPR session in the attached file.