Human Rights Council resolution 31/18 requested the UN High Commissioner to designate, for a period of six months, a maximum of two existing independent experts in support of the work of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to focus on issues of accountability for human rights violations in the country, in particular where such violations amount to crimes against humanity, as found by the commission of inquiry.

Overview of the mandate

The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was established by the UN Commission on Human Rights in 2004 (resolution 2004/13), and has been renewed on an annual basis by the Human Rights Council. The Special Rapporteur investigates and reports on the situation of human rights in the country and on the government’s compliance with its obligations under international human rights law. He submits reports to the Human Rights Council and General Assembly annually.
 

The Committee considered the second periodic report of the Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea (CCPR/C/PRK/2000/2) at its 1944th to 1946th meetings, held on 19
and 20 July 2001, and adopted the following concluding observations at its 1953rd meeting,
held on 26 July 2001.

Treaty bodies Search

The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights considered the second
periodic report of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea on the implementation of the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (E/1990/6/Add.35) at
its 44th to 46th meetings, held on 19 and 20 November 2003 (see E/C.12/2003/SR.44-46) and
adopted, at its 56th meeting, held on 28 November 2003 (see E/C.12/2003/SR.56), the following
concluding observations.

The Committee considered the fifth periodic report of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (CRC/C/PRK/5) at its 2236th and 2237th meetings (see CRC/C/SR.2236 and 2237), held on 20 September 2017, and adopted the present concluding observations at its 2251st meeting, held on 29 September 2017.

Treaty bodies Search

The Committee considered the combined second to fourth periodic reports of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (CEDAW/C/PRK/2-4) at its 1554th and 1555th meetings (see CEDAW/C/SR.1554 and CEDAW/C/SR.1555), held on 8 November 2017. The Committee’s list of issues and questions is contained in CEDAW/C/PRK/Q/2-4 and the responses of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea are contained in CEDAW/C/PRK/Q/2-4/Add.1.

Treaty bodies Search

The human rights treaty bodies are committees of independent experts that monitor implementation of the core international human rights treaties. Each State party to a treaty has an obligation to take steps to ensure that everyone in the State can enjoy the rights set out in the treaty.

There are ten human rights treaty bodies composed of independent experts of recognized competence in human rights, who are nominated and elected for fixed renewable terms of four years by State parties

The special procedures of the Human Rights Council are independent human rights experts with mandates to report and advise on human rights from a thematic or country-specific perspective. They are non-paid and elected for 3-year mandates that can be reconducted for another three years.

With the support of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), special procedures: