Ahn Chang-ho, Human Rights Commissioner, "Welcome UN General Assembly's Adoption of North Korea Human Rights Resolution"

An Chang-ho, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK), expressed his welcome for the adoption of the North Korea human rights resolution at the United Nations General Assembly.

Yonhap News

On the 23rd, Chairperson An stated in a press release, "We welcome the unanimous adoption without a vote of the North Korea human rights resolution at the 79th UN General Assembly on the afternoon of the 17th (local time), marking the 20th consecutive year of adoption." He added, "This is the result of the international community's continued attention and efforts regarding the human rights situation in North Korea."

He also explained the significance of this resolution. Chairperson An said, "This year, the international community, for the first time, pointed out North Korea's failure to fulfill its obligation to repatriate prisoners of war under the Geneva Conventions and officially raised the issue of 'forced family separation' related to abductees and separated families." He noted, "It also expressed concern over forced abortions and infanticide of forcibly repatriated North Korean women and their children, urging an immediate halt to these practices."

He continued, "Concerns were raised about the Anti-Reactionary Thought and Culture Law, the Youth Education Guarantee Law, and the Pyongyang Dialect Protection Law, calling for their repeal or amendment. It was also decided to hold a high-level plenary meeting on North Korean human rights at the UN General Assembly in September next year."

He emphasized the necessity of humanitarian measures such as reunions of separated families between South and North Korea. Chairperson An stated, "The international community welcomed the submission of a comprehensive report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to the 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council in September next year, as a follow-up to the 2014 UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) report on North Korea." He stressed, "Urgent humanitarian actions are needed to confirm the life status and whereabouts of abductees forcibly detained in North Korea, facilitate reunions of separated families between South and North Korea, and strongly urged the prompt return of prisoners of war who have not yet been repatriated to their home country under the Geneva Conventions."

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