This sends Pyongyang the wrong message that human rights are raised only when expedient and turned on only to be used as a weapon for political purposes. The South Korean government under former Korean President Moon Jae-in also avoided raising the issue, believing that doing so would facilitate inter-Korea dialogue and engagement. However, as a period of intense hostility between the United States and North Korea gave way to high profile summitry, mention of human rights disappeared. General Assembly speech in 2017 and in his State of the Union address in 2018. For example, Trump put a spotlight on North Korean human rights during his U.N. Human rights should not be treated as an on-off switch.
Stay consistent on North Korean human rights messaging How public, for example, will the role be on human rights? Will it call for greater accountability for reported crimes against humanity? Or will its approach be more low key, with the envoy expected to downplay issues such as political prison camps and pay attention rather to issues to which the regime may be more amenable, such as health or food security, family reunifications, or the rights of children and women? Will the envoy work to erode North Korea’s information blockade? The Biden administration needs to be clear what direction it wants to take on human rights in choosing an envoy. Several reasons, including a “ laborious vetting process” may be holding up the appointment, but regardless of the reasons, the Biden administration first needs to determine what approach it will take on human rights in its overall North Korea policy. It also suggests that improved U.S.-North Korea relations will depend on the regime’s alleviating oppression towards its people. The appointment of a North Korean human rights ambassador will send a message about the importance that rights and values play in the administration’s foreign policy. Appoint a special envoy for North Korean human rights To bring greater attention to human rights in its North Korea policy, the Biden administration should take the following steps. President Donald Trump’s administration took office. Although the administration has stated its intent to fill the Congressionally-mandated post, the position continues to remain unfilled since former U.S. Third, as momentum begins to build on North Korean human rights, greater pressure will develop for the Biden administration to appoint its own special envoy for North Korean human rights to respond to North Korea’s worsening human rights conditions and to Russia’s and China’s support for North Korea’s intransigence at the U.N. Moreover, their more neutral background may create a narrow space for dialogue with North Korean officials. This will help both promote accountability and justice while also supporting humanitarian engagement as North Korea’s pandemic-induced border lockdown eventually eases. Both Salmón and Lee have experience at the United Nations, but neither was steeped in North Korean human rights advocacy prior to their appointments. Second is the appointment of Elizabeth Salmón as United Nations special rapporteur on North Korean human rights who can help revitalize and inject creativity in addressing ongoing rights concerns. More broadly, the Yoon government has advocated a foreign policy that upholds values such as freedom and human rights. The recent appointment of Ambassador Lee Shin-wha as the new envoy for North Korean human rights, a position created in 2016 but left unfilled during the previous progressive government, signals Seoul’s intent to give priority to human rights in its North Korea policy. South Korean conservatives have traditionally been more vocal on North Korean human rights and willing to publicly call out the Kim regime for rights violations. However, the following developments may prod the administration to take a closer look.įirst is the change in leadership in South Korea in May to a conservative government. To date, Biden’s increased attention to global democracy and human rights has not necessarily translated into greater activity on North Korean human rights.
0 kommentar(er)
