A/HRC/22/57 widespread pattern of violations. A full description of the documentation of these nine patterns is presented in annex I to this report. A varying amount of documentation is available on each of these violations, as information is difficult to obtain, due to the absence of independent monitors and media in the country, the restrictions on citizens leaving the country, and the refusal of the Government of the Democratic People‟s Republic of Korea to provide access or otherwise cooperate with the United Nations human rights mechanisms. Concerns about reprisals, including against family members who remain in the country, also make it difficult for individual victims to come forward or agree to the publication of certain details. Nevertheless, the regular, credible and consistent information which has been received – and the patterns to which they point - highlight the need for a more systematic, comprehensive and well-resourced investigative mechanism than can be achieved by the current Special Rapporteur and his mandated support from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. An inquiry mechanism could produce a more complete picture, quantify and qualify the violations in terms of international law, attribute responsibility to particular actors or perpetrators of these violations, and suggest effective courses of international action. III. United Nations assessment of human rights violations in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea 8. The United Nations has characterized many of the abuses committed in the Democratic People‟s Republic of Korea as grave violations of human rights, committed in a systematic and widespread manner. 9. The General Assembly resolutions adopted between 2006 and 2012 on the Democratic People‟s Republic of Korea repeatedly expressed serious concern at the persisting reports of systematic, widespread and grave violations of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights in the Democratic People‟s Republic of Korea, including torture, public executions, arbitrary detention, absence of due process and the rule of law, imposition of the death penalty for political and religious reasons, collective punishments and the existence of a large number of prison camps and extensive use of forced labour. From 2008 onwards, the General Assembly has strengthened its approach and expressed very serious concern about these violations. 10. In its resolutions, the General Assembly also expressed its very serious concern at violations of economic and social rights leading to severe malnutrition and other health problems, as well as restriction on freedom of movement, as systematic and widespread. Moreover, the General Assembly decried violations affecting vulnerable groups, in particular women, children, persons living with disabilities and the citizens repatriated back to the Democratic People‟s Republic of Korea. The Commission on Human Rights also reflected these concerns in the resolutions it adopted from 2004. 4 11. Since 2009, the Human Rights Council has deplored the grave, widespread and systematic abuses in the Democratic People‟s Republic of Korea, in particular the use of torture and labour camps against political prisoners and repatriated citizens. In 2012, the Human Rights Council went a step further, expressing deep concern about a “persisting deterioration” in the human rights situation in the country.5 12. In 2012, for the first time, since the inception of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur, the Human Rights Council adopted its resolution on the Democratic People‟s 4 5 6 Commission on Human Rights resolutions 2004/13 and 2005/11 Human Rights Council resolution 19/13