UN LEGAL TEAM VISITS DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF KOREA, CONDUCTS GROUND-BREAKING SEMINAR ON TREATY LAW AND PRACTICE, STATELESSNESS, REFUGEES

UN LEGAL TEAM VISITS DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF KOREA , CONDUCTS GROUND-BREAKING

SEMINAR ON TREATY LAW AND PRACTICE, STATELESSNESS, REFUGEES

NEW YORK, 18 November (OLA) -- A United Nations legal delegation visited Pyongyang from 16 to 18 November at the invitation of the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to conduct a seminar on treaty law and practice, statelessness and refugees issues.  Questions such as obligations under treaties, termination of treaties and breaches of treaty obligations were discussed.

The delegation was led by Palitha Kohona, Chief, Treaty Section’s Office of Legal Affairs (OLA), who was accompanied by Christoph Bierwirth, Senior Liaison Officer, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Geneva.  The seminar was held at the Peoples Cultural Palace, Pyongyang.  The participants were from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, the Interior and the Environment and other Government departments and academia.

This was the first time that such a United Nations legal delegation had been invited to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.  This initiative followed on the participation of a number of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea delegates at a training programme on treaty law and practice conducted in New York by the Treaty Section.  Subsequent discussions between the Permanent Mission and the Legal Office resulted in this ground-breaking development.  The OLA hopes that this mission will be followed by further legal contacts between the United Nations and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Commenting on the seminar, Nicolas Michel, Under-Secretary-General and United Nations Legal Counsel, said that “capacity-building is essential for a better understanding and implementation of international law”, and added, “My Office was pleased to be able to favourably respond to the request for assistance made by the Government of the DPRK.”

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*     Press Release L/3097 issued on 28 October should have been L/T/4392.

For information media • not an official record