o National Human Rights Commission of Korea will host a panel discussion on evaluation and implementation of the 4th Concluding Observation of the UN ICESCR in cooperation with laymaker Hong Youngpyo, Roh Hoechan, Kwon Meehyuk and the Group of NGOs to respond to the ICESCR on 20th of November.
o The UN Committee on International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights announced the Concluding Observation on the 4th State Report of the Republic of Korea regarding implementation of the ICESCR on 9th of October. Main recommendations include establish legal obligation regarding human rights infringements by Korean companies, especially those operation in other countries; enact comprehensive anti-discrimination act; take effective measures to curb the abuse of irregular forms of employment including sub-contractors, dispatched workers and employees with special forms of employment; implement detailed measures to bridge gender pay gap; protect the right to labor and social security of migrant workers; ease the conditions for conducting legal strikes and restricts the scope of the definition of essential services so as to ensure the effective exercise of the right to strike; ratify the ILO Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Oganize Convention No. 87 and the Rights to Organize and Collective Bargaining Convention No. 98.; abolish family duty to support its members; provide measures to prevent elderly and child abuse; strengthen its effort to prevent suicide; and devise housing policies including long-term solutions regarding homelessness.
o The panel discussion is a forum to evaluate the concluding observation and discuss measures to implement recommendations. It will be composed three sessions: Session 1 will deal with evaluation on the concluding observation; Session 2 will present enactment of a comprehensive anti-discrimination act and measures to guarantee social security; and Session 3 will be about measures to ensure right to labor and business’s duty on human rights. Experts from diverse sectors, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health and Welfare and Ministry of Employment and Labor will participate.
o In the mean time, Chairperson Lee Sung-ho of NHRCK released a Chairperson’s Statement where he urged the Korean government to make active efforts to address concerns raised and implement recommendations made to bring about full implementation of the ICESCR on October 13.
o NHRCK expects that the panel discussion will serve as an opportunity to discuss detailed measures to implement the recommendations included in the concluding observation of the Committee on ICESCR.
o The panel discussion is open the public.
