On Wednesday, May 4, the Government of Japan will host the symposium on Human Rights Situation in DPRK – Strategies towards Restoration of Humanity – in New York, the United States.
Since the COI report was released, efforts made by the international community
to improve the human rights situation in North Korea have gained more momentum
than ever. Subsequent to the adoption of resolutions at the UN General
Assembly at the end of last year, which includes consideration of referral
of the situation to the International Criminal Court, and discussion at
the UN Security Council for two consecutive years, a resolution against
North Korea was adopted by the UN Human Rights Council last March. The
resolution includes a strong request that a group of experts be established
to recommend mechanisms of accountability for the “crimes against humanity”
in North Korea.
Cooperation of the international community led by the UN is essential
to urge North Korea to take concrete and sincere actions. The aim of this
symposium is to find a way for the international community to cooperate
in working towards improving the human rights situation in North Korea
as soon as possible.
We hope that the symposium will generate further progress in the resolution
of human rights violations by North Korea, including the abduction issue.
The details of the symposium are as follows:
Date & Time: May 4th, 2016 (Wed) 10:00 – 12:00 (Doors Open at 9:30)
Venue: Conference Room 11, UN Headquarters (New York City, the United States)
Program:【Moderator: Prof. Robert Boynton, New York University】
1. Opening Remarks by Katsunobu Kato, Minister in charge of the Abduction
Issue, Government of
Japan
2. Appeal by Victims:
(1) Family Member of an Abductee: Mr. Takuya Yokota (Secretary-General of Association of
Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea)
(2) Family Member of a missing Japanese possibly related to North Korea: Mr. Shoichi Osawa
(3) Defector from North Korea: Mr. Oh Sehyok
3. Panel Discussion
・ Presentation by Mr. Marzuki Darusman, UN Special Rapporteur on
the Situation of Human
Rights in the DPRK (Former COI member)
・ Presentation by Mr. Robert King, United States Special Envoy for
North Korean Human
Rights Issues
・ Presentation by Ms. Param-Preet Signh, Senior Counsel of International Justice Program of
Human Rights Watch
・ Q&A Session
4. Closing Remarks by Minister Katsunobu Kato
※Views expressed by speakers who are not from the GoJ do not necessarily reflect the views of
the GoJ.
You can click here for the flyer.