On November 19 (New York Time), a resolution on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), which was co-sponsored by 61 countries including the Republic of Korea, was adopted by consensus during the 80th session of the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee.

The Republic of Korea notes that, in the resolution, the UN General Assembly urges the DPRK to establish an operating environment conducive to the return of international and humanitarian staff and encourages all Member States and UN entities to provide more support for the work of civil society organizations to improve the human rights situation in the DPRK.

In the resolution, the UN General Assembly welcomes the comprehensive report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights containing an update on the situation of human rights in the DPRK since the release of the report of the Commission of Inquiry in 2014. It also emphasizes the significance of the DPRK’s cooperation with UN human rights mechanisms, including the importance of implementation of the recommendations from universal periodic reviews (UPRs).

The ROK government will continue its close cooperation with the international community for the substantive enhancement of human rights of DPRK people.