UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON SITUATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA TO VISIT JAPAN, REPUBLIC OF KOREA AND MONGOLIA

8 December 2006

The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Prof. Vitit Muntarbhorn, will visit Japan from 10 to 14 December, the Republic of Korea from 14 to 18 December and Mongolia from 18 to 23 December 2006, at the invitation of the respective Governments.

In order to gather firsthand information on the human rights situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and to examine the consequences and impact of the human rights situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on these countries, Prof. Muntarbhorn will meet with Government officials; national human rights commissions; parliamentarians; civil society representatives, including non-governmental organizations and international organizations in Japan, the Republic of Korea and Mongolia.

The Special Rapporteur will submit a report, including his conclusions and recommendations, to the United Nations Human Rights Council.

The Commission on Human Rights in its resolution 2004/13 of 15 April 2004 called upon the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to extend its full and unreserved cooperation to, and assist, the Special Rapporteur in the discharge of his mandate. To date, the Special Rapporteur has not been granted access to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Prof. Muntarbhorn was appointed Special Rapporteur on 13 July 2004. According to Commission on Human Rights resolution 2004/13, the mandate holder is to “establish direct contact with the Government and with the people of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, including through visits to the country, and to investigate and report on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and on the Government's compliance with its obligations under international human rights instruments”. As Special Rapporteur, he is independent from any government and serves in his individual capacity.

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For use of information media; not an official record