Australia remains gravely concerned by continuing and widespread human rights violations perpetrated by the DPRK Government.

We are troubled by reports that the DPRK’s ongoing COVID-19 measures have worsened the already disturbing human rights situation. Conditions in the DPRK’s political prison camps remain a particular concern for Australia.

We note with alarm that the DPRK has done little to improve its track record on human rights since the 2014 Commission of Inquiry found that human rights violations in the DPRK constituted crimes against humanity.  

We urge the DPRK to ensure its citizens can exercise their human rights freely, to implement the recommendations from the Special Rapporteur’s report, and to cease diverting resources to its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and associated delivery systems.

Australia supports humanitarian exemptions to sanctions on the DPRK, where appropriate, but we cannot support broader sanctions relief while the DPRK refuses to address the reasons they were first imposed.

Australia asks: how will the Special Rapporteur respond to the challenge of lack of access to the DPRK, in order to fulfil her mandate?