North Korea human-rights reporting
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to table regular reports in Parliament on human rights in North Korea, press China to allow safe passage of North Korean refugees to South Korea, and create initiatives to monitor rights and assist defectors. The government responds that Canada monitors abuses, backs UN resolutions, opposes refoulement and engages diplomatically.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would increase parliamentary oversight and public transparency about human-rights abuses in North Korea, prompting clearer policy responses.
- Pressuring China to permit safe passage could reduce refoulement risk and help refugees reach South Korea where they are recognized as citizens.
- Creating monitoring and aid initiatives would coordinate Canadian support and international efforts to assist defectors and document abuses.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Diplomatic pressure on China may have limited effect and could complicate bilateral relations needed for other policy goals.
- Regular reports and new aid initiatives would require resources and administrative capacity that might compete with other priorities.
- Intervening to assist defectors outside Canada risks endangering people on the ground and may be difficult to implement safely.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the House of Commons We, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following: Whereas: 1. Given the worsening situation of human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), as documented by the UN Commission of Inquiry in 2014, with many crimes against humanity likely occurring in the following human rights violations: - Prioritization of food distribution to those considered useful to the survival of the current political system, while those deemed expendable face deprivation, - A vast security apparatus that suppresses dissent through surveillance, coercion, fear, and punishment, - Public executions and forced imprisonment of citizens in political prison camps, terrorizing the population into submission, - State-sponsored abductions of citizens of other nations; and 2. Given that the People's Republic of China has disregarded or ignored recommendations from the UN Commission of Inquiry regarding North Korean defectors and other issues, including: - Respecting the principle of non-refoulement, - Allowing the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and other humanitarian organizations full access to North Korean defectors, - Adopting a victim-centric, human-rights-based approach to trafficking in persons, - Regularizing the status of North Korean spouses and children of Chinese citizens to ensure their access to legal protections and rights, including birth registration and Chinese nationality, - Raising concerns with North Korean authorities about abductions, forced repatriations, forced abortions, and infanticide targeting repatriated individuals. Therefore, we, the undersigned citizens and residents, call on the Government of Canada to: 1. Table regular reports in Parliament on: - The situation of human rights in North Korea, including the state of political prison camps (Kwan-li-so) and correctional labour camps (Kyo-hwa-so), - The status and challenges faced by North Korean defectors in China and elsewhere, including their access to UN and diplomatic resources, - Canadian policies regarding North Korean defectors, including North Korean refugee claimants from outside Canada; 2. Engage actively with international organizations and foreign governments to press the PRC to allow safe passage for North Korean refugees to South Korea, where they are recognized as citizens; and 3. Establish initiatives to support the promotion of human rights in North Korea and aid defectors, without specifying a particular legislative structure. These measures should: - Monitor and report on human rights issues in North Korea, including conditions in political prison camps and labour camps, - Address the challenges facing North Korean defectors in China and other regions, - Develop strategies for Canada to assist in protecting North Korean citizens from crimes against humanity and support their human rights and freedoms, - Support international efforts to safeguard the people of North Korea from crimes against humanity and to promote political freedoms, including through dialogue with relevant organizations and governments.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Signed by Rob Oliphant The Government of Canada appreciates the work of those who hold the government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) accountable for violating the human rights of North Koreans. Canada continues to closely monitor the human rights situation in North Korea and remains deeply concerned by North Korea’s systematic violations of human rights. Canada consistently calls for justice, accountability, and adherence to international human rights standards by North Korea. Canada works with a diversity of international partners, and continues to support, contribute to, and co-sponsor United Nations resolutions which document North Korea’s human rights violations at both the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva and the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The Government of Canada has advocated directly to other countries to end the practice of refoulement, or forced repatriation, of North Korean escapees and defectors back to North Korea against their will. During North Korea’s fourth Universal Periodic Review at the United Nations Human Rights Council in November 2024, Canada called on the North Korean government to end enforced disappearances, executions, torture and other inhumane treatment of the North Korean people; end forced abortions for pregnant women repatriated to North Korea; lift restrictions on access to information and media; and train State Security officers on respecting human rights. Following the 2014 United Nations Commission of Inquiry report which revealed the extent and breadth of human rights violations perpetrated by North Korea, Canada has continued to stress the importance of implementing the report's recommendations and maintaining international pressure on the government of North Korea to improve the human rights and humanitarian situation of the North Korean people. To further inform these advocacy efforts, Canada—particularly through the Embassy of Canada to the Republic of Korea in Seoul—has engaged with an array of stakeholders to better understand the lived realities of North Koreans. This includes consultations with civil society organizations and other relevant actors to learn on-the-ground perspectives. Canada commends the efforts of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in North Korea for their continued work. Canada reiterates its call for the government of North Korea to cooperate with the Special Rapporteur and permit them to visit North Korea and fulfill their mandate.