A/HRC/26/43 the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and to provide support for initiatives to improve it, fully utilizing all available mechanisms to achieve tangible results. B. Key elements of a strategy to address international abductions and enforced disappearances 44. The Special Rapporteur would like to share a few observations and suggestions about the way forward with the neighbouring States and other States concerned, firstly on the issue of international abductions and enforced disappearances. The commission of inquiry recommended that the Special Rapporteur develop a strategy, involving all concerned United Nations human rights mechanisms, to address the issue of international abduction, enforced disappearances and related matters coherently and without delay. It also recommended that Member States afford full cooperation to ensure the implementation of such a strategy. The Special Rapporteur stresses that this issue, and the strategy being developed, is of upmost importance and will always be an integral part of the follow-up work in the way forward. The gravity of the commission’s findings and the clarity it has given to the issue of international abductions and enforced disappearances have energized all concerned as a strategy is being developed to address this important issue. 45. The commission of inquiry found that, since 1950, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has engaged in the systematic abduction, denial of repatriation and subsequent enforced disappearance of persons from other countries on a large scale and as a matter of State policy. Well over 200,000 persons, including children, have been taken from other countries to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and many were never heard of again. This figure includes those who left for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in the context of the Korean War.30 They may have potentially become victims of enforced disappearance. 46. During his visit to Japan from 8 to 10 April 2014, as an immediate follow-up to the work of the commission of inquiry, the Special Rapporteur was informed by the authorities that, in addition to the 19 Japanese persons who had been confirmed victims of abduction by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, there were currently 860 missing persons who could not be ruled out as have been abducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. In addition to holding discussions with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Abduction Issues and other relevant authorities, for the first time in his visit as the mandate holder, the families of victims of abduction and a wide range of civil society actors met with him together to share information and discuss the way forward. The Special Rapporteur was deeply encouraged by the sense of unity and commitment to seeking closure to this issue. 1. An international approach 47. One of the key elements of the strategy developed by the Special Rapporteur is the international perspective and approach required to address the issue of international abductions and enforced disappearances. This is no longer only a bilateral issue between Japan and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, but one that concerns other countries and the international community at large. 48. The commission of inquiry found that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea had used its land, naval and intelligence forces to conduct abductions and arrests. Operations were approved at the level of the Supreme Leader. The vast 30 Report of the detailed findings of the commission of inquiry (see footnote 5), para. 1011. 15