Joint Statement from the 19th Conference of the International Parliamentarians’ Coalition for North Korean Refugees and Human Rights (IPCNKR)and issued in conjunction with the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on North Korea (APPG North Korea)
Adopted by the Member of Parliamentarians participating in the IPCNKR at its 19th General Meeting of the IPCNKR on 20 April, 2023.
The International Parliamentarians’ Coalition for North Korean Refugees and Human Rights and All-Party Parliamentary Group on North Korea:
Reaffirming its commitment to collaborate with the international community to end the long-standing and ongoing systematic, widespread and gross violations of human rights in North Korea in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Human Rights Covenants and the annual resolutions on the situation of human rights in the DPRK adopted by the UN General Assembly and Human Rights Council,
Noting that the UN Commission of Inquiry on human rights in the DPRK (COI) found that crimes against humanity have been committed in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, pursuant to policies established at the highest level of the State in 2014 (A/HRC/25/63),
1. Expresses its deep concern at the serious violations of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the North Korean people that amount to crimes against humanity by the North Korean government;
2. Calls upon the North Korean government to respect the universal human rights and fundamental freedoms of the North Korean people and to ensure accountability, reparation and guarantees of non-repetition;
3. Urges the government of North Korea to recognize access to information, to allow the general population to access and use the Internet, and to completely rescind the recent Anti-Reactionary Thought legislation; and that if the government of North Korea continues to refuse to provide access to the Internet, the international community should find ways in which to directly provide the Internet to the general population of North Korea and establish a global fund for the provision of internet services in North Korea.
4. Condemns North Korea’s abduction of all citizens of Republic of Korea, Japan and other countries, and urges the government of North Korea to immediately return all citizens illegally held against their will, in accordance with the Geneva Conventions and international human rights law; and especially urges the immediate return all Japanese nationals illegally held in North Korea, following the precedent of North Korea’s admission of abduction and return of five Japanese abductees in 2002;
5. Supports the UN Human Rights Council and the UN Special Rapporteur’s report on North Korean human rights issues especially in relation to the plight ofwomen and girls highlighted this year; supports the referral of the situation inNorth Korea to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in accordance with 2014 COI report, as well as in the successive resolutions of the UN General Assembly and Human Rights Council; and supports the international community’s consideration of all proposals for the punishment of crimes against humanity in North Korea;
6. Urges all States, including the member States of the IPCNKR, to guarantee that North Korean refugees residing in their countries can enjoy human dignity and values and provide protection to settle and integrate in society; and urges all states to respect the UN Security Council resolutions including ion relation to the return of any forced workers by the government of North Korea
7. Strongly condemns the government of North Korea’s destructive cyberattacks, information theft, and extortion of money from banks and cryptocurrency from financial institutions which constituteserious criminal acts violating international law; urges the government of North Korea to immediately stop its hacking and heinous cybercrimes.
8. Urge the international community, including South Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan and other states, to create a common international norm and regulation in response to North Korea’s destructive cyberattacks; to form a consultative body to deter and prevent such attack and to hold to account those responsible.
