In first such visit to DPR of Korea, UN legal delegation holds seminar on treaties

In the first such visit of its kind, a United Nations legal delegation spent three days in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) last week at the invitation of the Government to conduct a seminar on treaty law and practice, statelessness and refugees issues.

Questions such as obligations under treaties, termination of treaties and breaches of treaty obligations were discussed were discussed at the 16-18 November meetings in Pyongyang, the capital, attended by participants from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, the Interior and the Environment and other government departments and academia.

“Capacity-building is essential for a better understanding and implementation of international law,” Under-Secretary-General and UN Legal Counsel Nicolas Michel said. “My Office was pleased to be able to favourably respond to the request for assistance made by the Government of the DPRK.”

The initiative followed the participation by DPRK delegates at a training programme on treaty law and practice conducted in New York by the Treaty Section, and the UN delegation was led by Palitha Kohona, Chief, Treaty Section’s Office of Legal Affairs (OLA), who was accompanied by Christoph Bierwirth, Senior Liaison Officer, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

“Subsequent discussions between the Permanent Mission and the Legal Office resulted in this ground-breaking development,” the Office said in a news release. “The OLA hopes that this mission will be followed by further legal contacts between the United Nations and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.”