A/HRC/26/43 revelation of the truth, international scrutiny and sustained pressure have had some initial effects and will continue to do so. A. Universal periodic review 25. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has always maintained its procedural objection to any country-specific mandate, citing this as the reason for which it refuses to cooperate with the Special Rapporteur. The State has nonetheless been willing to engage in the universal periodic review mechanism, which examines the situation of human rights in all States Members of the United Nations. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea participated in its first review in December 2009 and rejected 50 recommendations immediately afterwards. For more than four years thereafter, it failed to identify any recommendations that enjoyed its support or to report on any progress of their implementation.18 The General Assembly also, in its resolution 65/225, adopted at the end of 2010, expressed its serious concern at the refusal of the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to articulate the recommendations that enjoyed its support following its review, and regretted the lack of actions taken to implement the recommendations contained in the final outcome. Despite similar concerns expressed by other parties, for three more years the Government maintained its ambiguous stance on the recommendations. It was only after the presentation of the commission’s findings before the Human Rights Council that the leadership of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea made any positive progress with regard to the universal periodic review. 26. The second review of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was held on 1 May 2014. A few days before the review, the Government indicated that its position was that the State accepted 81 of the 167 recommendations made during the first cycle of the universal periodic review in December 2009.19 The Special Rapporteur notes the Government described the 81 accepted recommendations as “recommendations that are implemented or currently under implementation”. These recommendations mostly related to economic and social rights, women, children, a rights-based approach to development, and the reunion of separated families in the Korean peninsula. They also included some civil and political rights, which the Government claimed were being implemented. Notably, the Government also accepted recommendations to submit reports to the Human Rights Committee and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. One of the recommendations accepted specifically called upon the Government to take measures to facilitate family reunification, as recommended by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.20 Although belated, these are welcome developments. The Special Rapporteur will continue to seek to engage the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to ensure the implementation of the above recommendations, and encourages other Member States to do likewise. 27. The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review adopted the second review of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on 6 May 2014. In its immediate response to the second review, the Government rejected 83 of the 268 recommendations made; for the others, the Government would provide responses in due time, but no later than the twentyseventh session of the Human Rights Council”. 21 If this were indeed to eventuate, it would mark a significant improvement in the Government’s cooperation with the universal periodic review mechanism. 18 19 20 21 A/HRC/13/13. See annex 1 on the website of the Office of the High Commissioner at www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/KPSession19.aspx. A/HRC/13/13, para. 90, recommendation 78. See A/HRC/27/10. 9