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Human Rights

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 September 2021

Thursday, 9 September 2021

Questions (457)

Carol Nolan

Question:

457. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the actions the Government is taking in relation to human rights in North Korea given that Ireland is chairing the UN Security Council; if Ireland will call for the implementation of the recommendation from the 2014 UN Human Rights Council’s report of the commission of inquiry on human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (details supplied) that the UN Security Council should refer to the situation to the International Criminal Court; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42644/21]

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Written answers

Ireland has consistently raised the human rights situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), both in the UN and through other international fora. In March 2021, Ireland made a national statement at the Human Rights Council, during an Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the DPRK, to raise serious concerns about human rights violations in the country.

Ireland urged the DPRK Government to take immediate steps to halt all human rights violations, to cooperate with the Special Rapporteur’s mandate and to fully implement the human rights treaties to which they are party.

Ireland is fully aware of the recommendation regarding a possible referral to the International Criminal Court (ICC). We recently co-sponsored a resolution at the Human Rights Council welcoming General Assembly resolution 75/190, which encourages the Security Council to continue consideration of a referral and also condemns in the strongest terms the gross human rights violations committed by the DPRK.

In February, Ireland signed a joint letter to the President of the UN Security Council, requesting that the agenda item, ‘The situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’ remain on the list of items of which the Council is seized. This provides a possibility to discuss the DPRK, including human rights issues, at Security Council level. Ireland joined others in repeating this request at a meeting of the Security Council on 25 August.

Ireland has consistently called on the DPRK to allow humanitarian access to address assistance needs, both at the Council and 1718 (DPRK) Sanctions Committee levels. Equally, Ireland has supported ongoing expedited humanitarian exemptions by the Committee.

Question No. 458 answered with Question No. 406.
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