GRC participated in ‘Towards a New Dawn for the North Korean People’, a Side Event at the 55th Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva. GRC co-organised the event with a global coalition of nearly 20 CSOs, representing over 500 organisations from more than 100 countries. The event was co-sponsored by the European Union and 15 other countries.
Three North Korean escapees bravely spoke at the event, highlighting the current human rights situation in North Korea, and together with civil society representatives and delegates, identified strategies by which to strengthen accountability for the North Korean people through the Human Rights Council and existing justice mechanisms.
As a preliminary step, the speakers at the event called for the High Commissioner to provide an updated report on the ongoing human rights situation in North Korea, since the 2014 COI report. As one escapee, Ilhyeok Kim, noted, ‘It is not enough anymore to bear witness: the international community must take steps to address impunity and send a clear warning to perpetrators that they will be held accountable for ongoing abuses.’
GRC continues to engage with North Korean defectors and advocates internationally, most recently with Ms. Kim Kyu Li at the Assembly of State Parties 22 Side Event in December 2023 in New York. The team will attend further HRC side events this week in Geneva, and continue to support efforts to build momentum for accountability and justice for North Korean victims.
For more on the event see the Reuters article.