A/HRC/31/70 18. During his visits to the Republic of Korea and Japan, the Special Rapporteur was pleased to observe that officials and civil society actors in both countries were eager to support and cooperate with OHCHR. He reiterates his calls upon all stakeholders, including the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, to extend their full cooperation to OHCHR. In addition, he urges the Human Rights Council to ensure that the OHCHR field-based presence in Seoul can fulfil all aspects of its mandate effectively, including by ensuring that it is provided with adequate financial resources. 2. Dialogue on technical cooperation with the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea 19. In September 2015, during the meeting between the High Commissioner and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Minister invited the High Commissioner to pay a visit to the country. Subsequent discussions were held between the Government and OHCHR on a possible visit. The Special Rapporteur welcomes this positive development, and hopes that the visit be used as an opportunity to improve cooperation between the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and OHCHR. Such cooperation is critical to facilitate the implementation of the State’s international human rights obligations, including the commitments it made during the universal periodic review, and is in accordance with the technical assistance mandate of OHCHR in Seoul. 3. Strategy on accountability 20. In 2014, the commission of inquiry found that crimes against humanity had been and were still being committed in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. This confirmed the reports of various actors, including those who had left the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, members of civil society, and the current and previous mandate holders. In the two years since the report of the commission of inquiry, there has been no indication that the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has changed. Political prison camps remain in operation. Reports of torture and other violations against prisoners in political and ordinary prisons continue. Religious followers reportedly continue to face persecution, and persons attempting to flee the country appear to face harsher treatment than in earlier periods. Food insecurity remains a serious issue. Despite the reported availability of food at private markets, the failure of the public distribution system and the absence of support for those who do not earn adequate cash income have never been properly addressed. Lastly, those persons reportedly abducted from other countries remain missing. D. 1. Accountability and future of the Korean peninsula Discussions on unification 21. Since August 2015, relations between the two States on the Korean peninsula have improved, as witnessed by the increase in interaction and dialogue. At the same time, the Special Rapporteur noted that public discussions on a possible future unification seemed to be gaining momentum in the Republic of Korea. In addition, the Government of the Republic of Korea appears to be undertaking preparations, including a consideration of the implications of unification for the legal frameworks of the two States. 22. In this new context, the Special Rapporteur stresses that accountability for crimes against humanity must be part of any discussion about the future of the Korean peninsula, including the scenario of unification. International law requires that those who are responsible for crimes against humanity be held accountable. This will require a deep 5