NHRCK and Gyeonggi-do/Ansan-si Authorities Sign an MOU on Exchange to Promote Human Rights of Foreigners Living in Korea
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK; Chairperson Kyong-Whan Ahn) signed and exchanged a memorandum of understanding on “exchanges for the promotion of human rights of aliens living in the Republic of Korea” with the authorities of Gyeonggi-do (Governor Mun-Su Kim) and Ansan-si (Mayor Ju-Won Park) on May 25, 2008. The two parties decided to step up cooperation to better uphold the human rights of foreigners living in local communities in the country.
More and more aliens are living in the country, and they are playing an increasingly important role in developing local communities in economic, social, cultural, and other respects. Their human rights issues have gradually emerged, prompting the NHRCK and the authorities of Gyeonggi-do and Ansan-si to enter into said MOU to promote a human rights-friendly culture where local residents and foreigners live in harmony.
The Gyeonggi-do and Ansan-si authorities decided to make a concerted effort to substantially improve human rights conditions for aliens living in local communities. Their respective efforts are being spearheaded by the International Cooperation Officer’s Office and the Alien Residents Center. The NHRCK intends to provide multi-pronged support to the local governments for the protection and promotion of human rights of foreigners living in their jurisdictions.
The gist of the MOU includes (i) assistance to the wide-area local governments that perform a leading role in the protection and promotion of human rights for aliens residing in the country; (ii) mutual cooperation for the enactment and amendment of municipal ordinances associated with human rights of those foreigners; (iii) collaboration for local human rights researches and investigations; and (iv) human rights training to enhance the human rights of those foreigners and bolster competence towards that end.
This is the first MOU of this kind that the NHRCK ever signed with a local government, and the NHRCK will endeavor through this MOU to spread a human rights-friendly culture where Korean people live in harmony with foreigners in a multi-cultural society.
