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<p>The UK played a leading role in ensuring a strong UN Human Rights Council Resolution
and will continue to work with partners to ensure the issue remains in the spotlight.
We agree with the view expressed by Amnesty International that the message sent to
the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) authorities by the resolution could
not be clearer. As both Amnesty International and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
have said, crimes against humanity will not be tolerated and those responsible must
face justice. As the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right
hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), outlined in his Written Ministerial
Statement of 31 March, we welcome the final text of the resolution which includes
a specific request that the UN Security Council consider referral of the situation
in the DPRK to the appropriate international criminal justice mechanism. As a first
step, the Commission of Inquiry will give an informal “Arria” briefing to the Security
Council on 17 April. Other elements of the resolution which reflect earlier calls
from Amnesty International include concrete measures to ensure the work of the Commission
of Inquiry is continued. The mandate of the Special Rapporteur has been extended and
the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is requested to provide the Rapporteur
with increased support, not least through a new structure to strengthen monitoring
and documentation of the human rights situation in the DPRK, as well as through capacity
building of others working to address this issue. These measures will ensure that
whenever and however the DPRK regime is brought to account, the material will be there
to build a strong case against those responsible for violations.</p>
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