A/HRC/RES/40/20
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
3 April 2019
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Fortieth session
25 February–22 March 2019
Agenda item 4
Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council
on 22 March 2019
40/20.
Situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of
Korea
The Human Rights Council,
Guided by the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, the International Covenants on Human Rights and other human rights instruments,
Recalling all previous resolutions adopted by the Commission on Human Rights, the
Human Rights Council and the General Assembly on the situation of human rights in the
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, including Council resolution 37/28 of 23 March
2018 and Assembly resolution 73/180 of 17 December 2018, and urging the
implementation of those resolutions,
Bearing in mind paragraph 3 of General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 15 March
2006,
Recalling its resolutions 5/1, on institution-building of the Human Rights Council,
and 5/2, on the Code of Conduct for Special Procedures Mandate Holders of the Council, of
18 June 2007, and stressing that the mandate holder shall discharge his or her duties in
accordance with those resolutions and the annexes thereto,
Stressing the importance of following up on the recommendations contained in the
report of the commission of inquiry on human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic
of Korea, 1 which was welcomed by both the Human Rights Council and the General
Assembly, and transmitted to the relevant bodies of the United Nations, including the
Security Council,
Deeply concerned at the systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations in
the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea that, in many instances, constitute crimes
against humanity, and at the impunity of perpetrators, as described in the report of the
commission of inquiry,
Recalling the responsibility of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to protect
its population from crimes against humanity, and noting that the General Assembly in its
resolution 73/180 recalled that the commission of inquiry had urged the leadership of the
1
A/HRC/25/63.
GE.19-05669(E)