09 Fall QUATERLY JOURNAL.pdf

Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights (NKHR)

Vol. 53 / Fall / 2009

Life &

Human

Rights in

North Korea

Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights (NKHR)

Life & Human Rights in North Korea 3

| C ONTENTS |

E SSAY

Experiences and Fundamental Strategies of

International Lobbying on North Korean Human Rights

in the UN system

Joanna Hosaniak · 4

F ORUM

Right to Food and Discrimination based on

Social Classification and Ascription

Tae-Hoon Kim · 11

W ITNESS A CCOUNT

Moving from Japan to North Korea, and to South Korea Again

Chul-Yoon Kim · 21

D OCUMENT

Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human

Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

Vitit Muntarbhorn · 31

This quarterly is published in Korean and English.

All expenses were paid for with voluntary contributions

from Korean citizens.

Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights (NKHR)

ESSAY _ _ _ ____ __

Experiences and Fundamental Strategies of

International Lobbying on North Korean Human

Rights in the UN system

Joanna Hosaniak

Senior Officer

International Cooperation Team

Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights

The Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights (NKHR) has been

active in raising the profile of the human rights conditions in North Korea at

the UN system in the following areas:

1. Lobbying for the North Korea related Resolution and establishment of

the country-specific Rapporteur and cooperation with the Rapporteur since

then.

2. Cooperation with the relevant Committees that monitor North Korea’s

obligations under the four thematic human rights instruments it has

voluntarily acceded to.

3. Communicating cases to the Special Procedures regarding individuals of

concern.

1. Activities at the UN Commission on Human Rights (UN Human

Rights Council)

For about five decades, the UN scarcely addressed the human rights situation

in North Korea. Even after both the Republic of Korea and the Democratic

People’s Republic of Korea became full members of the UN community in

1991, and when the humanitarian and human rights situation in North Korea

worsened in the middle of the 90s as illustrated by the increased outflow of

refugees from the country, the first resolution at the UN Commission on

Human Rights appeared only in 2003. The resolution was introduced by the

European Union countries.

Life & Human Rights in North Korea 5

Despite the slow few decades, the situation gained momentum after 2003. In

2004, the second resolution was passed; the language of it was stronger and

the scope of issues included extended. Most importantly, the 2004 resolution

established the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human

Rights in North Korea.

The beginning of the process in 2003 would be impossible without active

participation of international NGO community and the proactive support of

the European Union and other governments. Importantly, at that time, the part

of the civil society in South Korea which was mobilized around the North

Korean issues under the umbrella of a few local and North Korean refugees-

based organizations was strong enough to add the voice or moral support for

raising the North Korean issue on the international arena. Needless to say, this

approach unfortunately repeatedly backfired in South Korea where the society

continues to be divided over the issue without leaving a room to freely discuss

the North Korean human rights problems from humanitarian perspective and

not be accused of certain political ideology.

Despite this metaphorical Sword of Damocles, the NKHR joined hands with

other organizations in South Korea, Japan, Europe and the USA to form a

chain of individuals that would lobby for raising high profile to the North

Korean human rights issue. Lobbying was conducted in Geneva and in the

respective governments at home. It would entail adding the changes to the text

of the resolution, which had to convey a strong message of concern on one

hand, but not that strong that would be viewed as hostile and would alienate

the countries that could possibly join in voting for it. Next step was to gain as

much support as possible in the voting for the resolution, so that it could pass

at the plenary vote. This was the most difficult process and needed quite

skilled logistical preparation among the organizations. Every participant

needed to cover 10-15 countries and even if the lobbyist could not influence

the position of the government (practically impossible with China, Russia,

most African and South-East Asian countries), the reasoning behind such

actions was to at least expose the members of the diplomatic corps to the issue

of human rights abuses in North Korea and the plight of North Korean

refugees in China.

The resolutions place the responsibility on North Korea to make progress in

the field of human rights, but the DPRK has been rejecting them since 2003

and has failed to recognize and cooperate with the Special Rapporteur

(appointed in July 2004) whose mandate belongs to the special procedures

system in the UN and comprises of the independent experts. The Special

Rapporteur acts pro-bono and is only covered with travel expenses when

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