Human Rights Commission Recommends 4th Basic Human Rights Policy Plan... Focus on Improving Human Rights of Bukmin

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) has recommended the government adopt the National Action Plans (NAP) focusing primarily on improving human rights in North Korea.

On the 4th, the NHRCK announced the finalization of the '4th Term (2023?2027) Human Rights NAP Recommendation,' which outlines the goals and tasks for domestic human rights policies. The Human Rights NAP aims to improve human rights-related laws, systems, and practices. It originated following the unanimous adoption of the "Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action" at the UN-hosted World Conference on Human Rights held in Vienna, Austria, in 1993, marking the 25th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It serves as a comprehensive national human rights policy blueprint guiding the direction of the country's human rights policies.

In February 2006, the NHRCK recommended the 1st Term (2007?2011) Human Rights NAP, which included expanding political participation for public officials and teachers and guaranteeing labor rights for special employment workers. In January 2012, the 2nd Term (2012?2016) Human Rights NAP was recommended, categorizing social minorities and urgent relief areas such as persons with disabilities, non-regular workers, migrants, refugees, and North Korean human rights into 14 categories, with measures to promote human rights. The 3rd Term (2018?2022) Human Rights NAP presented key tasks based on the awareness of insufficient infrastructure for effective policies related to child abuse and the human rights of children and youth in blind spots within the child rights sector.

The 4th Term Human Rights NAP proposes key tasks based on North Korean human rights issues approached from universal human rights principles grounded in international human rights standards, including the protection of human rights for North Korean defectors. The NHRCK recommended the government cooperate and improve laws and systems to promote North Korean human rights, protect the human rights of North Korean defectors, and address the human rights of separated families, abductees, and prisoners of war from both North and South Korea. Previously, the NHRCK received and began investigating a petition last month to uncover the facts of the forced repatriation of North Korean fishermen and to take appropriate measures.

Additionally, the NHRCK recommended the government improve laws and systems on themes such as ▲guaranteeing fundamental freedoms for all people ▲prohibiting discrimination and realizing a life of respect for diverse social members ▲ensuring human rights for all working people ▲leading changes toward a human rights-friendly society. The NHRCK stated, "We expect the government to actively reflect this 4th Human Rights NAP recommendation in policy formulation," and added, "We will continue to strive to lead human rights-friendly government policies."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.