Press Releases

1. Japan highly praises the fact that on 27 March, 2015, at the 28th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council currently being held in Geneva,Switzerland, 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 welcomes the General Assembly resolution on the situation of human rights in the DPRK in December 2014, and also welcomes the decision of the Security Council in the same month to add the situation in the DPRK to the list of issues of which the Council is seized, the holding meeting during which the situation of human rights in the DPRK was discussed, and looks forward to the continued and active engagement of the Council. Furthermore, this year’s resolution also welcomes the report submitted to the Human Rights Council by Mr. Marzuki Darusman, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the DPRK, including the “Strategy on addressing the issue of international abductions, enforced disappearances and related matters” and decide to convene a panel discussion on the situation of human rights in the DPRK at the Human Rights Council this September. In addition, this year’s resolution calls again upon all parties concerned, including United Nations bodies, to consider implementation of the recommendations made by the commission of inquiry (COI) in its report released last year (PDF).

3. Japan strongly hopes that the adoption of this resolution will lead to the improvements of the situation of human rights in the DPRK, including the early resolution of the abduction issue, and continues to strongly urge the DPRK, in cooperation with the international community to take concrete actions towards this end.