A/HRC/43/58 I. Introduction 1. In the present report, submitted to the Human Rights Council pursuant to Council resolution 40/20, the Special Rapporteur covers the main human rights developments in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea since his previous report to the Council. The present report should be considered in conjunction with the report most recently submitted by the Special Rapporteur to the General Assembly (A/74/275/Rev.1). The Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea continues to refuse to cooperate with the mandate of the Special Rapporteur. 2. During the reporting period, the Special Rapporteur conducted an official country mission to the Republic of Korea from 17 to 21 June 2019. He was unable to conduct his second mission to the Republic of Korea in late 2019 due to scheduling difficulties. From 2 to 4 December 2019, he conducted an official country mission to Japan, where he met with the minister in charge of the abductions issue, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, other government officials, members of Parliament, families of abduction victims and members of civil society and the academic community. 3. During the period covered, there was no sign of improvement in the human rights situation, nor progress in advancing accountability and justice for human rights violations in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The human rights situation may further deteriorate as a result of reported lower crop production in 2019;1 tightened border control, continuing surveillance and trade bans under the current threat of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19); and the impact of continued sanctions. The Special Rapporteur devotes a large part of the present report to highlighting women’s human rights. He hopes that this will help to increase the focus on the particular human rights challenges faced by women in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and will lead to broader inclusion of women in all aspects of the political negotiations. II. Overview of the political and security situation 4. The deadline of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea for resuming denuclearization and peace talks with the United States of America passed on 31 December 2019 without any significant developments. The Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has not conducted any nuclear tests since September 2017. During the fifth plenum of the Seventh Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, held from 28 to 31 December 2019, the Chairman of the Workers’ Party, Kim Jong Un, stressed the need for self-reliance and said “that the real intention of the United States is to seek its own political and diplomatic interests while wasting time away under the signboard of dialogue and negotiations and at the same time keep sanctions so as to gradually reduce our strength”. He recognized that “it is true that we urgently need external environment favourable for our economic construction, but we can never sell our dignity which we have so far defended as valuable as our own life, in the hope of gorgeous transformation”.2 In December 2019, China and the Russian Federation circulated a draft resolution to Security Council members seeking to lift sanctions on the return of workers of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; exports of statues, seafood and textiles; and imports of metal products for humanitarian use; and apply an exemption from such sanctions to rail and road projects carried out jointly by the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea. For the second year in a row, the Security Council did not discuss the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. 5. To date, no cases of COVID-19 have been officially confirmed in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the authorities are taking preventative action, including strict controls on entry into the country and seeking assistance from United Nations entities. 1 2 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Crop Prospects and Food Situation, Quarterly Global Report, December 2019, p. 5. See https://kcnawatch.org/newstream/1577943153-613054498/fifth-plenary-meeting-of-seventhcentral-committee-of-workers-party-of-korea-held/. 3