A/HRC/34/66 I. Introduction 1. The present report, submitted to the Human Rights Council pursuant to Council resolution 28/22, is the first to be submitted by the current mandate holder since his appointment in August 2016. The outcome of the work of the group of independent experts who were appointed pursuant to Council resolution 31/18 to outline options for accountability for human rights violations in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, in particular where such violations amount to crimes against humanity as found by the commission of inquiry on human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in 2014 (A/HRC/25/63), is presented in an addendum (A/HRC/34/66/Add.1). In his report, the Special Rapporteur briefly reviews key developments concerning the human rights situation in the country, including political and security developments, the impact of the August 2016 flood in the north-eastern provinces and the Government’s engagement with some of the United Nations human rights mechanisms. He then discusses human rights issues which were brought to his attention during his first mission to North-East Asia. Finally, he discusses the value of the two-track approach in addressing the human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea with reference to diverse efforts by a range of actors.1 2. Two seemingly contradictory developments characterized the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in 2016. On the one hand, the country’s repeated nuclear and missile tests deepened its international isolation, halting international dialogue on key human rights issues and hindering the delivery of humanitarian aid. On the other hand, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea took a few important steps to fulfil some of its international human rights obligations, including the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on 6 December 2016 and the submission of treaty reports to the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. Nevertheless, access to the country by United Nations human rights mechanisms, including the Special Rapporteur, to assess the impact of these steps on the ground has not been granted. II. Latest developments A. Political and security situation Pursuance of simultaneous economic and nuclear development 3. In 2016, the authorities in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea continued to consolidate domestic political power around Kim Jong Un as the Supreme Leader. In May 2016, the Workers’ Party of Korea held its seventh congress, the first to be held since 1980. Mr. Kim, elected as Chair of the Party, outlined policies of simultaneously advancing economic development and nuclear capability. 2 The congress also led to the adoption of a five-year strategy for economic development. Notably, in his presentation of the five-year strategy Mr. Kim did not acknowledge the increasing trend of marketization throughout the country, nor did he reflect on the potential impact of sanctions imposed by the Security 1 2 The report of the Special Rapporteur and the report of the group of independent experts on accountability were shared with the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea for factual comments prior to publication. Korea Central News Agency (Pyongyang), “Kim Jong Un makes report on work of WPK Central Committee at its 7th Congress”, 7 May 2016. 3