A/HRC/RES/58/17 Noting with concern the possible negative impact on the human rights situation, including that of separated families, following the announcement by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in January 2024 that it would no longer pursue reunification with the Republic of Korea, Stressing that the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, including with respect to gender equality and the rights of all women and girls, including adolescent girls, is intrinsically linked to international peace and security, since the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea funds its unlawful nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes through human rights violations and abuses, such as forced labour, and noting with concern that a disproportionate amount of the State budget is allocated to military spending, resulting in failure to fully respect, protect and fulfil human rights, such as the right to an adequate standard of living and the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, Noting with concern that, according to a report published by the Office of the High Commissioner in July 2024,9 the use of forced labour in and by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has become institutionalized, children are vulnerable to the deployment and mobilization of forced labour, and the use of forced labour by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea may, in some instances, reach the threshold of ownership, which constitutes the crime against humanity of enslavement under international criminal law, Reaffirming the importance of States engaging fully and constructively with the Human Rights Council, including with the universal periodic review process and other mechanisms of the Council, for the improvement of their situation of human rights, Noting a gradual reopening of the country’s borders, and calling for the nondiscriminatory return of the diplomatic community, agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations system, and civil society organizations, as well as for the resumption of a meaningful dialogue with the international community, 1. Condemns in the strongest terms the long-standing and ongoing systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations and other human rights abuses committed in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and expresses again its grave concern at the detailed findings of the commission of inquiry on human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in its report, the ongoing monitoring and documentation work of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and the developments since then, including: (a) The denial of the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including the freedom to adopt a religion or belief, and of the rights to freedom of opinion, expression, and association, including the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of any kind, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of one’s choice, both online and offline, which is enforced through all-pervasive and severe restrictions, including an absolute monopoly on information and total control over organized social life, and arbitrary State surveillance that permeates the private lives of all citizens; (b) Discrimination based on the songbun system, which classifies people on the basis of State-assigned social class and birth and also includes consideration of political opinions and religion, and which intersects with disability and with gender-based discrimination against women and girls, including unequal access to employment, discriminatory laws and regulations, and violence against women and girls, including sexual and gender-based violence; (c) Violations of all aspects of the right to freedom of movement, including forced assignment to State-designated places of residence and employment, often based on the songbun system, and denial of the right to leave one’s own country; 9 4 Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Forced Labour by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (Geneva and Seoul, 2024).