A/HRC/RES/31/18
(f)
To resolve the issue of all persons who have been abducted or otherwise
forcibly disappeared, and their descendants, in a transparent manner, including by ensuring
their immediate return;
3.
Reiterates its deep concern at the commission’s findings concerning the
situation of refugees and asylum seekers returned to the Democratic People’s Republic of
Korea, and other citizens of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea who have been
repatriated from abroad and made subject to sanctions, including internment, torture, cruel,
inhumane and degrading treatment, sexual violence, enforced disappearance or the death
penalty, and in this regard strongly urges all States to respect the fundamental principle of
non-refoulement, to treat humanely those who seek refuge and to ensure unhindered access
to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights with a view to protecting the human rights
of those who seek refuge, and once again urges State parties to comply with their
obligations under international human rights law and the Convention relating to the Status
of Refugees and the Protocol thereto in relation to persons from the Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea who are covered by those instruments;
4.
Stresses and restates its grave concern about the commission’s finding that
the body of testimony gathered and the information received provided reasonable grounds
to believe that crimes against humanity have been committed in the Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea, pursuant to policies established at the highest level of the State for
decades; these crimes against humanity entail extermination, murder, enslavement, torture,
imprisonment, rape, forced abortions and other sexual violence, persecution on political,
religious, racial and gender grounds, the forcible transfer of populations, the enforced
disappearance of persons and the inhumane act of knowingly causing prolonged starvation;
5.
Stresses that the authorities of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
have failed to prosecute those responsible for crimes against humanity and other human
rights violations, and encourages the members of the international community to cooperate
with accountability efforts and to ensure that these crimes do not remain unpunished;
6.
Welcomes General Assembly resolution 70/172, in which the Assembly
encouraged the Security Council to continue its consideration of the relevant conclusions
and recommendations of the commission of inquiry and take appropriate action to ensure
accountability, including through consideration of referral of the situation in the
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to the International Criminal Court and
consideration of the scope for effective targeted sanctions against those who appear to be
most responsible for acts that the commission has stated may constitute crimes against
humanity;
7.
Also welcomes the decision of the Security Council to hold a second Council
meeting on 10 December 2015, following the one held in December 2014, during which the
situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was discussed, and
looks forward to the continued and active engagement of the Council on this matter;
8.
Commends the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea for the activities undertaken to date and his
continued efforts in the conduct of his mandate despite the lack of access to the country;
9.
Welcomes the report of the Special Rapporteur submitted to the Human
Rights Council at its thirty-first session,2 in which the Special Rapporteur called upon the
Council to establish a group of independent experts on accountability;
2
4
A/HRC/31/70.
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