Press Releases

1. Japan highly praises the fact that on 28 March, at the 25th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council currently being held in Geneva in the Swiss Confederation, a resolution on the situation of human rights in the DPRK jointly submitted by Japan and the European Union was adopted by an overwhelming majority.

2. This year’s resolution reflects the content of a report that was recently published by the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the DPRK (COI), which was established by the resolution of the same title last year. This year’s resolution is stronger in content than any such resolution to date.

Specifically the resolution condemns the wide-spread and gross human rights violations in the DPRK in the strongest terms and acknowledges the report’s statement that crimes against humanity are being committed in the DPRK. Further, it urges the DPRK for the prompt implementation of measures to end all of the human rights violations including those related to the abductions issue, and recommends the international community to take measures such as establishing a structure that would enable a thorough follow-up to be conducted regarding the recommendations of the report.

3. Japan continues to strongly urge the DPRK to take concrete measures to improve its human rights situation, including the early resolution of the abductions issue, as well as to cooperate with the international community in order to achieve it.