International Dialogue on North Korean Human Rights Held Ahead of 'North Korea UPR'
Former Defector Diplomats Including Ri Il-gyu Attend as Panelists
Ahead of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on North Korea to be held at the United Nations Human Rights Council, defected diplomats including Ri Il-gyu, former Political Counselor at the North Korean Embassy in Cuba, will take the international stage. They plan to expose efforts to block discussions on North Korea's human rights issues and call for international solidarity to improve human rights in North Korea.
The Ministry of Unification announced on the 28th (local time) that it will hold the "2024 North Korea Human Rights International Dialogue" in Geneva, Switzerland, over two days. The purpose of this event, organized ahead of North Korea's UPR scheduled for the 7th of next month, is to publicize the horrific human rights situation in North Korea and strengthen international solidarity for the promotion and improvement of North Korean human rights.
'Defector Diplomat' Ri Il-gyu, Former Political Counselor at the North Korean Embassy in Cuba [Image Source=Yonhap News]
On the first day, discussions will focus on topics such as ▲ North Korea's UPR and the international community's response ▲ North Korea's diplomatic policy and human rights (dialogue among South and North Korean diplomats). Panelists include former Political Counselor Ri Il-gyu, Ko Young-han, Director of the National Unification Education Institute and the first defected diplomat (former First Secretary at the North Korean Embassy in Congo), and Yoon Sang-wook, Human Rights Counselor at the Korean Mission in Geneva and currently Human Rights Policy Officer at the Ministry of Unification. They will discuss North Korean authorities' human rights diplomatic policies.
Former Political Counselor Ri Il-gyu is expected to reveal the directives issued by the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs to overseas missions since 2016, including disclosing diplomatic cables directly. It is known that Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, has issued systematic instructions to overseas missions to prevent North Korea's human rights issues from becoming an international matter. For example, he reportedly ordered a "policy of struggle against human rights enemies" to block the regularization of North Korean human rights discussions.
On the second day, civil society voices will be conveyed on topics such as ▲ the focus of North Korea's UPR ▲ Beyond UPR ▲ issues concerning abductees, detainees, and Korean War POWs. Domestic and international human rights organizations including Human Rights Watch (HRW), Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG), and the North Korean Human Rights Citizens' Alliance (NKHR), along with defectors residing in Europe and families of abductees, detainees, and Korean War POWs, will participate to request international solidarity for confirming the life status and repatriation of our citizens.
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