The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), or North Korea, is one of the most authoritarian and repressive countries in the world, severely restricting universal human rights in a widespread manner. In a landmark report issued in February 2014, the UN Human Rights Council (HRC)-mandated Commission of Inquiry (CoI) on the DPRK established responsibility at the highest level of government for ongoing crimes against humanity.

Amplifying the voices of North Korean activists

In recognition of the 10th anniversary of the landmark report by the CoI on the DPRK, the Global Centre worked with affected communities to reinvigorate international attention on the ongoing human rights crisis in the DPRK. Working within a coalition led by HanVoice, the Global Centre collaborated with partners and defector-led civil society actors during a community symposium in the Republic of Korea and emphasized the urgency of addressing immediate harms, such as forced repatriation, women’s rights and intergenerational family separation, while creating pathways for longer-term accountability. As part of this collaboration, Global Centre staff also provided a training on advocacy at the UN for local civil society in Seoul, Republic of Korea.

UN-centered advocacy in New York and Geneva

The Global Centre has consistently advocated for the promotion and implementation of R2P on the situation in the DPRK. In November 2023 the Global Centre’s Geneva Representative, Elisabeth Pramendorfer, delivered remarks on preventing recurrence of atrocity crimes, as well as the challenges, opportunities and ways forward to mobilize international response that prioritizes atrocity prevention in the region at the International Conference on North Korean Human Rights and the Responsibility to Protect, organized by PSCORE. This was the first R2P conference in Seoul and featured testimonies from North Korean defectors.

At the 55th session of the HRC, the Global Centre successfully advocated for a resolution mandating a comprehensive update by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on the human rights situation in North Korea since 2014 and a review of the implementation of the CoI’s recommendations. This advocacy set an important precedent for sustained engagement with the findings of investigative mechanisms, even after their formal mandates conclude.

The Global Centre’s advocacy ahead of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly focused on strengthening the international community’s collective understanding of the nexus between human rights and the DPRK’s increasing militarization, aiming to open space for a holistic review of the ongoing situation where discussions often remain siloed. During these efforts, the Global Centre emphasized the need for member states to be responsive to the demands of affected communities and their vision of accountability and justice.