A/HRC/19/65 11. The six-party talks on the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula involving the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Republic of Korea, China, Japan, the Russian Federation and the United States of America are at a standstill. The Special Rapporteur was briefed on this important topic during his missions to both the Republic of Korea and to Japan. The Special Rapporteur believes that, although human rights is not one of the topics for discussion at the six-party talks, progress made during them will assist discussions on other issues, such as the human rights situation of the people of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. 12. With regard to the State’s cooperation with United Nations human rights mechanisms, despite several calls made by the Secretary-General and the Special Rapporteur, including in their reports presented to the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea continues to be late in reporting to the treaty bodies or uncooperative with the special procedures, including with the thematic mandate holders. During the reporting period, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea took no new steps to report to the treaty bodies or to invite any thematic special procedures. 13. There were, however, small signs of cooperation with other United Nations entities, for instance with the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. In late October 2011, the Emergency Relief Coordinator travelled to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to assess the humanitarian situation in the country. The Coordinator’s five-day mission included field visits to two hospitals, an orphanage, a local market and communal farm, and a Government public-distribution centre. After the visit, the Coordinator called on the international community to provide more financial support and for creative solutions to overcome the food shortages in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. In her assessment, the crisis is caused primarily by a complex mix of chronic poverty and underdevelopment, in addition to natural disasters. Agricultural production is constrained by soil degradation, difficult weather conditions and very limited mechanization. She also highlighted the fact that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea does not have enough arable land to produce all the food it needs, and would not be self-sufficient for the foreseeable future. The Special Rapporteur notes that many other partners shared this assessment. 14. Following the Emergency Relief Coordinator’s mission to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Special Rapporteur exchanged views with her on the humanitarian situation in the country, and was in continual contact with her Office. The Special Rapporteur calls on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to take the opportunity of the recent visit of the Emergency Relief Coordinator to engage more openly with her Office and with the United Nations in general. 15. In the coming months, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will commemorate some key events, such as the birthday of Kim Jong-il on 16 February, the centennial birthday of Kim Il-Sung on 16 April, and the celebration of the anniversary of the founding of the Korean Workers’ Party on 10 October. These are important dates that could provide the opportunity for general amnesties to be granted to certain categories of prisoners (see paragraphs 39 and 40 below). A. Separated families and family reunions 16. The Special Rapporteur notes with regret that the talks between the Red Cross societies of the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which have taken the lead in facilitating family visits of separated Korean families, have been stalled since November 2010, in the wake of the artillery firing on Yeonpyeong Island. 5