Situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea A/RES/79/181 People’s Republic of Korea in January 2024 that it would no longer pursue reunification with the Republic of Korea, Welcoming efforts undertaken by Member States and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea so far, and encouraging further efforts to raise international awareness about the human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Stressing that the human rights situation 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 abuse, 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 adequate food as a component of 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 indications of a gradual reopening of the country’s borders after the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, and calling for the return on a non-discriminatory basis 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, Encouraging diplomatic efforts, and stressing the importance of dialogue and engagement, including inter-Korean dialogue, to seek improvement of the human rights and the humanitarian situation in the country, Welcoming the efforts of the Secretary-General to contribute to improving inter-Korean relations and promoting reconciliation and stability on the Korean Peninsula and the well-being of the Korean people, 1. Condemns in the strongest terms the long-standing and ongoing systematic, widespread and gross violations of human rights in and by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, including those that may amount to crimes against humanity according to the commission of inquiry on human right s in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, established by the Human Rights Council in its resolution 22/13 of 21 March 2013, 16 and those identified by the group of independent experts on accountability for human rights violations in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, 17 established pursuant to Council resolution 31/18 of 23 March 2016, 18 and by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, including its field-based structure in Seoul, during its ongoing monitoring and documentation work, and the continuing impunity for such violations; 2. Expresses its very serious concern about: (a) The persistence of continuing reports of violations of human rights, including the detailed findings made by the commission of inquiry in its report, by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in its ongoing monitoring and documentation work and by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, such as: __________________ See Official Records of the General Assembly, Sixty-eighth Session, Supplement No. 53 (A/68/53), chap. IV, sect. A. 17 See A/HRC/34/66/Add.1. 18 See Official Records of the General Assembly, Seventy-first Session, Supplement No. 53 (A/71/53), chap. IV, sect. A. 16 24-24223 5/14