The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRC) has affirmed its major strategic plans for the year 2006, selecting 10 major tasks on which it will focus.
The 10 tasks are as follows: (1) Cooperate with the government to establish the National Action Plan for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (NAP) and monitor its implementation; (2) Recommend the establishment of the Anti-discrimination Law; (3) Set up standards for human rights violations (social rights included) and discrimination; (4) Promote the human rights of the elderly; (5) Enhance the human rights of soldiers and riot police; (6) Advance the human rights of persons living in social welfare facilities; (7) Elevate the human rights of foreigners living in Korea (i.e. spouses of Korean nationals), as well as those of migrant workers and their families created from migration; (8) Enhance the human rights of North Korean defectors; (9) Drive towards the establishment of the 「Basic Law on Human Rights Education」 (tentatively named); and (10) Expand human rights education in social welfare facilities, corporations, and the media.
The Commission will monitor whether government ministries are carrying out the government-version NAP based on recommendations made by the NHRC, and will offer advice through the Consulting Body on Human Rights Policy.
In addition, the Commission plans to offer advice on the establishment of an anti-discrimination law, a basic law aimed at rectifying discrimination, as early as possible, so that the National Assembly can draft and pass the bill. Remedies presented in the bill include awarding punitive damages beyond the compensatory damages granted to a plaintiff in a legal suit, and transferring the burden-of-proof from victim to perpetrator. The Commission is also considering including in the bill a clause legally obligating the opening of employment-related documents to the public.
Improving the human rights of the elderly will also be a priority of the NHRC in 2006, as this group has the highest suicide rate in the world. As well, the NHRC will deal with the poor situation of soldiers and riot police, and put forth strenuous efforts to improve the human rights of foreigners married to Koreans and migrant workers and their families.
Promotion of the human rights of North Korean defectors to the South, as well as the 「Basic Law on Human Rights Education (tentatively named),」 were also included among the 10 major tasks.
This year’s tasks were selected based on the NHRC’s vision of 「a world where human beings can live in dignity」 and the five goals of the Commission—created from policy development meetings and opinion collection from every sector of society.
In particular, these five goals are as follows: (1) Enhance the protection of human rights of the underprivileged and minorities; (2) Build up global level standards and practices for human rights; (3) Facilitate access to remedies and strive for greater work efficiency; (4) Strengthen education on human rights issues; and (5) Bolster the capacity of the Commission.
The major strategic plans for 2006 established prior to the selection of the 10 major tasks reflects a three-year business plan from 2006 to 2008 developed by the Ad-hoc Strategic Planning Task Force. In the first phase, the NHRC will establish a framework to prevent violations of social rights; and in the second phase, it will move towards settling and institutionalizing civil rights. At the same time, it will increase its interest in social rights to remove polarization in our society.
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The major strategic plans for 2006 established prior to the selection of the 10 major tasks reflects a three-year business plan from 2006 to 2008 developed by the Ad-hoc Strategic Planning Task Force. In the first phase, the NHRC will establish a framework to prevent violations of social rights; and in the second phase, it will move towards settling and institutionalizing civil rights. At the same time, it will increase its interest in social rights to remove polarization in our society.
