HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE CHIEF EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER ACTION BY DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA
Press Release
HR/CT/497
HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE CHIEF EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER ACTION BY DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA
19970829(Reissued as received.)
GENEVA, 29 August (UN Information Service) -- The Chairperson of the Human Rights Committee, Christine Chanet, expressed deep concern today over the announced intention of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to withdraw from the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Speaking on behalf of the Committee, Ms. Chanet, a human rights expert from France, said that although the Democratic People's Republic of Korea had become a party to the Covenant in 1981, it had ceased all cooperation with the Committee already in 1984, refusing all efforts by the Chair to resume a dialogue.
"The very regrettable attempt of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to breach its obligations under the Covenant constitutes a further step in a process aimed at denying its population the international protection of the rights guaranteed by the Covenant", Ms. Chanet said. "This is unprecedented in international human rights law, in effect, this is the first time since the entry into force of the Covenant on 23 March 1976 that a State has tried to renounce commitments undertaken of its own full accord", she added.
According to Ms. Chanet, the Committee will analyse the Government's initiative during its next session, which opens on 20 October in Geneva. In the meantime, she said, "I would like to express the wish that the authorities of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will reconsider their unfortunate initiative."
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