Established to Develop Practical Solutions After Observing Changes inside North Korea and the Will of the International Community
The North Korean Human Rights Watch Functions monitor human rights conventions that North Korea has signed, as well as agreements and the universal human rights agenda that North Korea has accepted as a member of the international community. Additionally, the functions fulfill their roles as monitors by focusing on those cases that cause the most serious damage among all North Korean human rights violation cases. The North Korean Human Rights Watch Functions analyze whether each agenda is being faithfully implemented in North Korea and whether any improvements can be seen in special cases through annual investigations with North Korean escapees who have escaped within the last 5 years. Moreover, they conduct research to ensure that the facts derived from those investigations can lead to further recommendations and improvements to present to the international community (civil society, government, press, etc.).
This function works to verify the degree to which North Korea has implemented the articles that the country has expressed willingness to accept among the human rights improvement plans that UN-affiliated human rights agencies have recommended.
North Korea Implementation of UN Recommendations Watch FunctionThis function works to verify the degree to which North Korea has implemented the articles that the country has expressed willingness to accept among the human rights improvement plans that UN-affiliated human rights agencies have recommended.
This function analyzes North Korean policy toward the practice of religion and investigates cases of religious persecution and the victims of these cases. It also provides the basis of activities that relevant national and international organizations participate in by providing resources for preventing religious persecution and providing relief to the victims.
North Korean Religious (Persecution) Watch FunctionThis function analyzes North Korean policy toward the practice of religion and investigates cases of religious persecution and the victims of these cases. It also provides the basis of activities that relevant national and international organizations participate in by providing resources for preventing religious persecution and providing relief to the victims.
This function monitors the detention facilities in North Korea (detention centers, police holding camps, labor training camps, prisons, and political prison camps) and endeavors to resolve the issue.
North Korea Detention Facility Watch FunctionThis function monitors the detention facilities in North Korea (detention centers, police holding camps, labor training camps, prisons, and political prison camps) and endeavors to resolve the issue.
This function promotes projects such as publishing reports on the reality of North Korean human rights violations against members of the North Korean armed forces and on the perpetrating organizations, facilities, and individuals. The function works to secure basic sources associated with control of the North Korean armed forces in preparation for unification and transitional justice.
Human Rights of Members of the North Korean Armed Forces Watch FunctionThis function promotes projects such as publishing reports on the reality of North Korean human rights violations against members of the North Korean armed forces and on the perpetrating organizations, facilities, and individuals. The function works to secure basic sources associated with control of the North Korean armed forces in preparation for unification and transitional justice.
This function conducts research to track and prepare integrated countermeasures for human rights violations against overseas workers, international students, North Korean escapees overseas, and their children. It published an investigation report titled, โHuman Rights and North Koreaโs Overseas Laborers: Dilemmas and Policy Challengesโ in 2015 and held a seminar in places such as the EU and Washington D.C. Moreover, it constantly reports on the actual conditions of North Korean overseas workers to the international community and endeavors to find solutions to the issue.
Overseas North Korean Human Rights Watch FunctionThis function conducts research to track and prepare integrated countermeasures for human rights violations against overseas workers, international students, North Korean escapees overseas, and their children. It published an investigation report titled, โHuman Rights and North Koreaโs Overseas Laborers: Dilemmas and Policy Challengesโ in 2015 and held a seminar in places such as the EU and Washington D.C. Moreover, it constantly reports on the actual conditions of North Korean overseas workers to the international community and endeavors to find solutions to the issue.
The organization observes and analyzes the conditions in which the death penalty is carried out, which is directly associated with North Koreansโ Right to Life and is the highest level of punishment that the North Korean authorities can give.
North Korea Death Penalty Watch FunctionThe organization observes and analyzes the conditions in which the death penalty is carried out, which is directly associated with North Koreansโ Right to Life and is the highest level of punishment that the North Korean authorities can give.
This function constantly monitors North Koreaโs drug production, distribution, use, and impact on the people, and is establishing a regular reporting process to promote an international coalition to solve the countryโs drug issues.
North Korea Drugs Watch FunctionThis function constantly monitors North Koreaโs drug production, distribution, use, and impact on the people, and is establishing a regular reporting process to promote an international coalition to solve the countryโs drug issues.
The function presents reports to resolve the human rights violation issues that occur during the nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons experiments done in North Korea, as well as the material acquisition, management, and overall operation process, and promotes an international coalition calling for a cessation of testing.
North Korea Nuclear/Biological/Chemical Weapon (ABC) and North Korean Human Rights Watch FunctionThe function presents reports to resolve the human rights violation issues that occur during the nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons experiments done in North Korea, as well as the material acquisition, management, and overall operation process, and promotes an international coalition calling for a cessation of testing.
Monthly briefings conducted in English for those in the international
community interested in learning about North Korean human rights
Since 2013, the NKDB Monthly Briefing has taken place to share insights regarding the state of North Korean human rights with diplomats, foreign correspondents, and various human rights-related international organizations. The briefing, conducted in English by invite only, follows the Chatham House Rule* and shares the latest information about NKDB's activities and North Korean human rights. Following the official briefing, NKDB staff and invited guests are available to answer questions in further detail to provide a more complete understanding of NKDB's work or other specialized topics.
At a basic level, the monthly briefing is held to provide up-to-date information to an English-speaking audience on the research and work of NKDB, its recent publications, and issues worth discussing regarding human rights in North Korea, but it invites speakers and, in some cases, presents on specific topics related to human rights violations in North Korea.
*Chatham House Rule: Information discussed behind closed doors may be discussed in public, but no names may be disclosed.
To prevent the flow of change from slowing,
NKDB provides recent information and explores new methods
The North Korean Human Rights Watchdog Headquarters, established in 2016, not only monitors but also plans new strategies for improving North Korean human rights conditions based on the North Korean authorities, the testimonies given by North Koreans, and interactions with the international community. In 2017, for the first time, the headquarters monitored the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) that North Korea had accepted, to elicit a sense of responsibility through reviewing its implementation in North Korea based on a universal human rights mechanism of the international community and deliver the voices of the North Korean people. In 2018, the headquarters attempted to integrate a discourse regarding development with the human rights agenda through holding a strategic development forum that linked the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) where the international community, government, businesses, and civil society participate with North Korean human rights. Furthermore, the headquarters actively works to provide constructive, practical suggestions for North Korea’s sustainable development by analyzing the correlation between humanitarian support and economic cooperation with North Korea and the human rights conditions in North Korea.
At this very moment, there are North Koreans escaping from the country. Their testimonies shed light on the country’s internal situation that the North Korean government is determined to conceal. Unlike the negative attitude that North Korea has displayed toward engaging in the UN Resolution on the Situation of Human Rights in the DPRK and the Commission of Inquiry (COI) established only in a monitoring capacity, North Korea has recently taken a relatively cooperative attitude toward engaging in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that suggests common goals to all members of the UN.
Although the internal measures that North Korea has implemented are considered ‘defensive measures’ and ‘only for show,’ this proves that we are in a situation in which we cannot simply remain silent in the face of those North Korean authorities who ignore the recommendations given by the international community and go against the universal values of mankind. The North Korean Human Rights Watch Functions attempt to facilitate these circumstances and protect those North Koreans who currently face human rights violations. To promote the accountability of the North Korean authorities and foment small changes into a strong current, it is imperative to continuously engage in activities that reflect the voices of North Koreans.
"The recommendations received during the first cycle review were given careful and serious consideration from the standpoint of honouring international human rights instruments and taking into account country’s specific conditions, with due attention being paid to taking necessary measures."
UN Human Rights Council, Democratic People's Republic of Korea : National Report submitted in accordance with paragraph 5 of the annex to Human Rights Resolution, January 30, 2014, A/HRC/WG.6/PRK/1, paragraph 4.
The Hon. Michael Kirby AC CMG
Former Justice of the High Court of Australia
Chair of the UN Human Rights Council's COI on Human Rights Violations in DPRK
In the first tranche of UPR, astonishingly, North Korea rejected all the criticisms and recommendations proposed in the HRC. But under the pressure of the COI report, North Korea began to accept a number of the proposals. The constant refrain of North Korea and its small band of allies was that commissions of inquiry were too political. Inferentially, they wanted the concerns voiced in the HRC to be handled in a more low-key way, such as UPR. They hoped that this would produce more friendly, less critical, observations. But UPR in the case of North Korea turned out to be searching and vigorous. This is why UPR is so important. If North Korea’s defenders in the Security Council prevent the adoption of a resolution, recommended by the COI, referring the case of North Korea to a prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, the least that they, and North Korea, must do is to undertake serious and constructive UPR discussions.
This is precisely where the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB) comes in. It is a research NGO within international civil society. It has collected, in its archives, over 65,000 cases of human rights violations in North Korea. It understands, as the COI did, the importance of sticking to reliable sources and cross-checking the information that it gathers. For this monitoring project, it has narrowed down the sample of informants to 100 North Korean refugees who lived in North Korea during the period it has examined. The object is to continue the provision to the HRC, and the other organs of the United Nations and the international community, of authentic voices of the North Korean people. They alone can be trusted to say whether the human rights
situation has improved in North Korea. They are denied an effective political voice by their own government. No one can frustrate access of the voices of North Korea to the United Nations and the world. The Charter of the United Nations was created in the name of the People of the world, everywhere. Those People demand information, access to, and accountability for, grave wrongs.
This is not a mere statistical exercise. This is not an academic study. It is a project to secure and uphold the human rights of the people living in North Korea. Nothing less will do.
1 July 2017
The Hon. Michael Kirby
Former Justice of the High Court of Australia
Chair of the UN Human Rights Council's COI on Human Rights Violations in DPRK
UN Human Rights Covenants and Conventions that North Korea has Joined
Mobile : Scroll the table from side to side. ←→
UN Human Rights Covenant and Agreement that North Korea Joined | The Year of Entry | Status of North Korea Country Report Submission | |
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights | 1981 | Preliminary Report: 1984 Secondary Report: 2000 | |
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights | 1981 | Preliminary Report: 1984 Secondary Report: 2002 | |
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women | 2001 | Preliminary Report: 2002 Secondary-Fourth Report: 2016 | |
Convention on the Rights of the Child | 1990 | Preliminary Report: 1996 Secondary Report: 2002 | 3rd to 4th: 2007 5th: 2016 |
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities | 2013 | Preliminary Report: 2018 | |
