A/HRC/RES/55/21 take action to counter acts of transnational repression by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, to treat humanely those who seek refuge and to ensure unhindered access to the Office of 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 to ensure adequate international protection by refraining from sharing information about the contacts and conduct of refugees, asylum-seekers and other citizens of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea with the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and once again urges States to comply with their obligations under international human rights law, including the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment as well as 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; 7. Stresses and restates its grave concern at the finding of the commission of inquiry 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 and by institutions under the effective control of its leadership, and that the crimes against humanity entail extermination, murder, enslavement, torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment, imprisonment, rape, forced abortions and other forms of sexual and gender-based violence, persecution on political, religious, racial and gender-related grounds, the forcible transfer of populations, the enforced disappearance of persons and the inhumane act of knowingly causing prolonged starvation; 8. Stresses that the authorities of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea continue to fail to hold accountable those responsible for crimes against humanity and other human rights violations and abuses, and encourages all States, the United Nations system, including relevant specialized agencies, regional intergovernmental organizations and forums, civil society organizations, foundations and other stakeholders to cooperate with accountability efforts, especially the efforts made by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and to ensure that the crimes do not remain unpunished; 9. Welcomes General Assembly resolution 78/218, in which the Assembly welcomed the resumption of the Security Council discussion on the situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and encouraged the Council to continue its consideration of the relevant conclusions and recommendations of the commission of inquiry and to 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 further development of sanctions in order to target effectively those who appear to be most responsible for human rights violations that the commission has said may constitute crimes against humanity; 10. 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 her continued efforts in the conduct of her mandate despite the lack of access to the country; 11. Welcomes the report of the Special Rapporteur;9 12. Recalls the recommendations of the commission of inquiry and those contained in General Assembly resolution 78/218, and reiterates the importance of maintaining the grave situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea high on the international agenda, including through sustained communications, advocacy and outreach initiatives, and requests the Office of the High Commissioner to strengthen those activities; 13. Welcomes the oral update of the High Commissioner, presented to the Human Rights Council pursuant to its resolution 52/28, on promoting accountability in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and commends the Office of the High Commissioner, including its field-based structure in Seoul, for the efforts it has made to date, and encourages it to take into account the experience of other relevant mechanisms and to 9 A/HRC/55/63. 7