The Center for Global Nonkilling participated in both the 30th Regular Session of Human Rights Council and the biannual World Health Organization 7th Milestones in a Global Campaign for Violence Prevention Meeting, held in the city of Geneva in October 21-24, 2015. CGNK Director Joám Evans Pim and UN Representative in Geneva Christophe Barbey were actively engaged in both events.

CGNK presented an Oral Statement, calling for a high level Political Conference to achieve a Peaceful Settlement of the Korean question, at the Panel discussion on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, held as part of the 16th Meeting 30th Regular Session of Human Rights Council. The statement, delivered by Christophe Barbey, can be read below or watched online on UN Web TV (go to minute 1:52:43). CGNK’s also submitted a written statement featuring the “Vasa Statement on Education for Killing-Free Societies”.

The 30th regular session of the Human Rights Council also included the 3rd session of the Open ended working group on the Right to Peace, that still has not been able to reach a consensus on the right to peace. Considering the importante of this rights in the building of killing-free societies and the fulfillment of all human rights, CGNK issued an oral statement calling for such a consensus and for the renewal of the mandate of the working group, that will reconvene next year.

CGNK also joined some 200 of the world’s leading violence prevention experts in the World Health Organization’s HQ to discuss how best to harness the powerful opportunities for strengthening interpersonal violence prevention that are contained in the Agenda’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). After years of lobbying for the inclusion of the reduction of homicide rates as a defined target, SDG 16.1 calls for significantly reducing all forms of violence everywhere, while targets 5.2 and 5.3 focus on ending violence against women and girls, and target 16.2 for ending all forms of violence against children. Several other SDG targets focus on important underlying causes that cut across all forms of interpersonal violence, including targets for poverty reduction, increased social protection, reduced access to alcohol and drugs, enhanced early childhood development, improved urban planning, and strengthened justice systems. The presentations of the 7th Milestones can be or downloaded here.

Oral Statement to the Panel discussion on DPRK at the 30th Regular Session of Human Rights Council

Mister President,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

This is a joint statement presented by Conscience and Peace tax International and the Center for Global Nonkilling.

Let us take an instant to remember that we are celebrating today the international day of peace.

In July 1953, the United Nations command in Korea and the belligerents of the Korean War signed an Armistice Agreement containing a recommendation to set up a high level Political Conference to achieve a Peaceful Settlement of the Korean question (Preamble, article II§13, IV§60 and V§62).

62 years later, this Peaceful Settlement Conference has not yet happened.

Because of the tremendous violations of human rights that have occurred in the absence of such a peaceful settlement of the Korean question, and paying due respect for international law; both for the United Nations Charter’s requirement to settle disputes peacefully and for the armistice agreement itself, we kindly ask to the Human Rights Council and to its member States to adopt as soon as possible a resolution calling for such a Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Korean question to be held.

Waiting for this conference to happen, Mister President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentleman, we thank your attention and for your swift action for a greater respect of human rights in Korea.

Thank you Mister President.

Geneva, 21st of September 2015