Who We Are

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR, or UN Human Rights) is the leading UN entity on human rights. We represent the world's commitment to the promotion and protection of the full range of human rights and freedoms set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We have a unique mandate from the international community to promote and protect all human rights for everyone, everywhere. 

 

We speak out objectively in the face of human rights violations and help develop the standards that are used to evaluate human rights progress worldwide.  

 

Our research, education, and advocacy activities contribute to increased awareness and engagement by the international community and the public on human rights issues. This means thousands of people in all regions of the world are empowered to claim their rights.  

 

Through our dozens of field presences, we help prevent abuses and contribute to defusing situations that could lead to conflict. Our monitoring and analysis feeds sensitive decision-making and development programming.  

 

We mainstream human rights into all UN programmes to ensure that peace and security, development, and human rights - the three pillars of the UN - are interlinked and mutually reinforced. 

 

Learn more about UN Human Rights here. 

 


UN Human Rights (Seoul)

UN Human Rights opened its office in Seoul in 2015 pursuant to a request from the Human Rights Council. The Seoul office has the following mandates: 

 

Monitoring and documenting the situation of human rights in the DPRK through: 

  • interviewing victims and witnesses, including people who have left the DPRK, about human rights violations by the DPRK; 

  • gathering human rights-related information from partners in civil society, Governments, and other experts; 

  • monitoring open sources of information, including from inside the DPRK; 

  • analyzing the collected information according to international human rights law; and 

  • presenting our analysis in regular public reports, including reports of the UN Secretary-General and the High Commissioner presented in Geneva and New York as well as thematic reports. 

 

Providing capacity-building for governments, civil society, academia, and other stakeholders. 

 

Raising the visibility of the situation of human rights in the DPRK, including through sustained communications, advocacy and outreach initiatives. 

 

Following up on recommendations made by the Commission of Inquiry on human rights in the DPRK and the Group of Independent Experts on accountability for the DPRK. 

 

Advocating for judicial and non-judicial accountability for human rights violations and international crimes by the DPRK through: 

  • identifying and collecting information and evidence of possible international crimes; 

  • analyzing the collected information and evidence under international criminal and human rights law, including identification of potential perpetrators and authorities responsible for violations;  

  • consulting with victims and other stakeholders with a view to including their views into avenues for accountability; and 

  • liaising with investigative and prosecutorial bodies regarding potential future criminal investigations.  

 

Supporting the work of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.