Chairperson’s Statement on Ratification of UN Convention on Enforced Disappearance by National Assembly
-Ratification will promote development of human rights protection frameworks for prevention and punishment of crimes of enforced disappearance-
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea joins all human rights advocates across our society in welcoming the ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED) at a regular session of the National Assembly on December 8 2022. This is truly good news as it helps us to ensure accountability for crimes of enforced disappearance committed in the past.
The ICPPED consists of a preamble and 45 articles and articulates the definition of enforced disappearance and the rights of victims to know the truth, receive an effective remedy, and form an organization or an association attempting to establish the circumstances of enforced disappearance, as well as the state’s obligations to develop a criminal legislation, initiate inquiries into related matters and keep personal information confidential under the two main pillars of prevention and punishment of enforced disappearance.
The Commission believes that the ratification of the ICPPED represents a step forward in the promotion of human rights by ensuring domestic application of international human rights norms for the prevention and punishment of crimes of enforced disappearance and facilitating the establishment of national human rights frameworks that are in compliance with international standards.
The Commission issued its recommendation to the government to ratify the convention against enforced disappearance in 2008 even before it entered into force. In 2017, it submitted an opinion to the Speaker of the National Assembly regarding the introduction of a special act relating to the human rights abuses at an internment camp called Brothers Home, claiming the confinement of inmates at the facility constitutes an offense of enforced disappearance and calling upon the State to ratify the convention to prevent human rights abuses by state agencies and their employees. It has made steady efforts for the ratification of the convention by the government.
As an independent statutory institution with a mandate to offer remedies for rights violations, the Commission will actively monitor the implementation by the government of its obligations under the ICPPED.
The Commission once again welcomes the ratification of the convention against enforced disappearance and will remain committed to upholding and advancing human rights.
