Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL13726):
Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have implemented any of the recommendations made in the report by the United Nations Commission of Inquiry Report of the commission of inquiry on human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, published on 7 February 2014; and if so, which. (HL13726)
Tabled on: 01 March 2021
Answer:
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon:
The UK has deep concerns about the appalling human rights situation in the DPRK including as documented in the 2014 UN Commission of Inquiry Report, and has responded to recommendations made by that report. Since the Report’s publication, we have maintained a high level of engagement at the UN on the situation and we continue to press for annual debate on the DPRK’s human rights issues in the UN Security Council. We continue to raise our concerns directly with the DPRK government. We also support the annual Human Rights Council resolution on human rights in North Korea which stresses the importance of following up recommendations from the Report and provides the basis for further work on a credible framework for accountability for human rights violations in the country.
Date and time of answer: 12 Mar 2021 at 14:11.
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Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL13728):
Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to hold to account those responsible for crimes against humanity in North Korea; what consideration they have given to referring reports of such crimes to the International Criminal Court; and what plans they have to review the efficacy of the mechanisms in place to ensure that such accountability is upheld. (HL13728)
Tabled on: 01 March 2021
Answer:
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon:
The UK is clear there must be no impunity for the most serious international crimes. The international community has a responsibility to respond to human rights violations in North Korea and the UK continues to press for annual debate in the UN Security Council on the DPRK human rights issues. North Korea is not a State Party to the International Criminal Court (ICC), so a referral of the situation in the DPRK could be made only by the UN Security Council in this instance. We welcome and support the annual Human Rights Council resolution on human rights in North Korea which stresses the importance of following up recommendations from the 2014 UN Commission of Inquiry Report on Human Rights in the DPRK, and provides the basis for further work on a credible framework for accountability for human rights violations in the country.
Date and time of answer: 12 Mar 2021 at 14:04.
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