A/HRC/RES/58/17
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 79/181, 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 further 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;10
12.
Recalls the recommendations of the commission of inquiry and those
contained in General Assembly resolution 79/181, 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 report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights,11 presented to the Human Rights Council pursuant to its resolutions 52/28 and 55/21,
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 that it has made to date, and encourages it to take into account the experience of other
relevant mechanisms and to actively engage and cooperate with national, regional and
international mechanisms, and civil society, victims and survivors, as appropriate, as part of
its efforts to identify strategies for accountability, in accordance with international law
standards;
14.
Also welcomes the steps taken to continue to strengthen the capacity of the
Office of the High Commissioner, including its field-based structure in Seoul, to allow the
implementation of relevant recommendations made by the group of independent experts on
accountability for human rights violations in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in
its report,12 aimed at strengthening current monitoring and documentation efforts, expanding
the number of interviews, compiling a central information and evidence repository and
having experts in legal accountability assess all information and testimonies, with a view to
developing possible strategies to be used in any future accountability process, and encourages
cooperation with a wide range of stakeholders in the procurement of evidence that could be
used in future criminal proceedings;
15.
Decides to renew, for a period of two years, the capacity of the Office of the
High Commissioner, including its field-based structure in Seoul, to allow the implementation
of relevant recommendations made by the group of independent experts on accountability in
its report, aimed at strengthening current monitoring and documentation efforts, compiling a
central information and evidence repository and having experts in legal accountability assess
10
A/HRC/58/65.
A/HRC/58/61.
12 A/HRC/34/66/Add.1.
11
8