A/HRC/28/71 I. Introduction 1. The present report is submitted to the Human Rights Council by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea pursuant to Council resolution 25/25. 2. Retrospectively, 2014 has been a landmark year for the international community’s collective engagement on human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and its efforts to bring relief and justice to the long-suffering people of the country. The report of the commission of inquiry on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, presented to the Human Rights Council in March 2014, enabled the revelation of the truth as to the magnitude and gravity of the human rights violations committed over several decades by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. 3. Sadly, the situation on the ground has not changed since the release of that report. Rather than responding seriously and substantively to the findings and recommendations of the commission of inquiry, the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has spared no effort in seeking to undermine the credibility of the report. While initially the authorities of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea made a number of welcome gestures towards increased cooperation with the United Nations human rights system and bilateral partners, including meeting with the Special Rapporteur for the first time in New York and conditionally inviting him to visit the country, those openings have not been sustained, nor borne fruit. 4. The main focus of the present report is the development of a strategy aimed at addressing the issue of international abductions, enforced disappearances and related matters, as recommended by the commission of inquiry. The Special Rapporteur hopes that it will contribute to resolving this painful issue. The support of all Member States and other relevant stakeholders in the implementation of this strategy will be paramount. II. Latest major developments 5. Since the Special Rapporteur’s last report to the Human Rights Council, in June 2014, there have been several important and unprecedented developments pertaining to the human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. A. Temporary engagement with the international community 6. In the second half of 2014, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea showed a welcome initial sign of being disposed to engage with the international community on human rights, most likely prompted by the findings of the commission of inquiry and the then upcoming debate in the General Assembly on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. 7. During that period, the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, for the first time, invited the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit the country and indicated its interest in receiving technical assistance from his Office (see sect. II.C below). In addition, the Government resumed dialogue with the European Union after several years, and extended an invitation to the Special Representative for Human Rights to visit the country. It also released three nationals of the United States of America detained on its territory. 3