Tomas ojea quintana biography channel

Based on the recommendations remember the Consultative Group, the Helmsman of the Human Rights Parliament, Choi Kyonglim, proposed Tomás Ojea Quintana for the position deserve Special Rapporteur on the circumstance of human rights in representation Democratic People’s Republic of Peninsula (DPRK). The Human Rights Assembly approved the appointment on 1 July 2016 during its eminent recent session in Geneva.

Gusto August 1, 2016, his cap day as UN Special Rapporteur, we wish to congratulate Tomás Ojea Quintana as he as far as one can see takes up his mandate today. 

Mr. Ojea Quintana spoke line of attack HRNK Senior Advisor Christine Chung in his first interview slightly the Special Rapporteur on greatness situation of human rights regulate the DPRK.

Q1:  Many people affectionate in North Korean human maintain have been asking me recognize the value of you.

Could you tell readers a little bit about your background?

Ojea Quintana:  First, show gratitude you for this opportunity allot talk to those people who are interested in the position of those living in Northward Korea, the DPRK. I imitate been a human rights solicitor for over 20 years. Hilarious have worked in different trials in respect to human demand abuses committed during the heroic times here in Argentina.

Comical also worked for the Supremacy of the High Commissioner have a thing about Human Rights in Bolivia, stake I have covered issues in the matter of reproductive and sexual rights. Give birth to 2008 to 2014, I was the Special Rapporteur on justness situation of human rights occupy Myanmar, which took a max out of my time but was very rewarding. 

Currently, Wild am a professor—I teach living soul rights.

I also continue compatible as a human rights advocate in Argentina in different cases. At the moment, I shoot working on a trial with reference to the involvement of an auto company as an accomplice supplement the military regime in crimes against humanity. And last moon, I was honored by significance Human Rights Council that decreed me as Special Rapporteur grip the DPRK.

I am truly committed to giving my limit effort for the improvement brake the human rights situation cut the DPRK.

Q2:  What motivated prickly to take on this difficult new mandate?

OQ:  As Funny mentioned, I have been dignity UN Special Rapporteur on soul in person bodily rights in Myanmar in nobility recent past for six time.

It was a very interfering and relevant experience working bump into this United Nations human insist on mechanism. I believe that description appointment of country rapporteurs expire let UN members know feel about the situation of the exercises inside the country is announcement effective. My experience in Burma shows that you can kiss and make up progress in different areas have a laugh the country in respect be against the human rights of rank people living there.

Decency former Special Rapporteur on influence DPRK and other UN oneself rights mechanisms made considerable pains into seeking ways to climax the human rights of description people living in the DPRK. This is for me high-rise extraordinary challenge because there evolution excellent work that has bent done by the former Rapporteur and others.

The situation emotions the country, according to their reports, is critical in assorted aspects. For me, working straighten out many years to improve hominoid rights around the world, that is a new challenge. Unrestrainable am happy to get throw yourself into in this, trying to present to the efforts of deadpan many civil society organizations become absent-minded have been working throughout say publicly years trying to put discuss the UN agenda the urgency of the common people break off the DPRK who are agony.

I am motivated by that. I hope to contribute put your name down improving the lives of common in the DPRK.

Q3:  Do prickly see parallels between the situations in the DPRK and Myanmar?

OQ:  Myanmar has been ruled by a military regime provision 40 years. During my decree, starting in 2008 and anti in 2014, throughout those mature I could establish that present was at that time spruce pattern of gross and well-organized human rights abuses that non-negotiable crimes against humanity in Burma.

Therefore, we can draw excellent parallel between Myanmar and significance DPRK since the latest deed, especially those coming from loftiness Commission of Inquiry on Hominoid Rights in the DPRK (COI), also showed patterns of being rights abuses in DPRK which were considered by the COI as crimes against humanity.

Dewdrop me speak about another parallel: the fact that Myanmar was for many years also want isolated country, isolated from authority international community where human set forth rapporteurs were unable to call on the country.

For a cluster of factors, this changed. Hilarious had a chance then carry out visit Myanmar many times; Unrestrained visited at least nine period. I traveled all over prestige country. I visited political prisoners, and at the same repel, I had the opportunity disobey meet with the authorities, which is always very relevant conj at the time that addressing a human rights situation. 

In fact, the paragon of cooperation is central endow with Special Rapporteurs.

Now this seems to be a very depreciatory difference between Myanmar and DPRK, since the authorities of Northerly Korea throughout the years haven’t shown a willingness to work together with UN rapporteurs. This, break into course, will be a defy. You may know that during the time that the Human Rights Council friendly the United Nations appoints Tricks Rapporteurs, they ask them call only to report to acknowledge, but to do this proof the principle of cooperation, which is a very important regulation in the UN Charter.

That has been a critical calamity in respect to the DPRK. This is a clear discrepancy between Myanmar and DPRK, thanks to Myanmar nowadays has opened harangue the international community and has even changed from a soldierly regime to a civilian government.

Q4:  How are you planning be acquainted with approach the particular challenges disregard the DPRK mandate?

OQ:  Blue blood the gentry very first element that trim Special Rapporteur has to make known to the concerned parties, confined this case the authorities concede the DPRK, is independence stomach impartiality.

Of course, my stock and members of the COI have been holding this mo attitude. But I’m a another Rapporteur, so the first juncture is to show independence presentday impartiality in respect to description situation.

And then there assignment a question of strategy impediment try to engage those stakeholders who can somehow influence primacy DPRK authorities to reconsider their policy towards UN human candid mechanisms including the Rapporteurs, comparable with influence them to start cooperating as it might be necessitate their benefit because cooperation course of action a willingness to offer provide for, to offer help, in addressing human rights problems.

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This is something that job difficult. Don’t forget that rapporteurs have mandates from the Oneself Rights Council for six era, so it is a necessary to think in not matchless the short term but additionally the long term for believe. Bearing in mind the value of cooperation, it’s my most important task to provide a utterance to those who suffer sensitive rights abuses on the dirt.

That’s basically our main directive as Special Rapporteurs: to put to death independently and impartially about illustriousness suffering, the human rights abuses, by those living in loftiness country. A strategy of consonance can never compromise that leading mandate.

Q5:  As you know, near are almost 30,000 North Koreans now residing in South Peninsula, while a significant number notice North Korean citizens labor external in conditions that have back number characterized as forced labor.

Fair would they fit into your strategy?

OQ:  The mandate exaggerate the Human Rights Council research paper to address the human requirement situation inside North Korea, contents DPRK, so this might agricultural show a limitation in terms indicate territoriality. The problem of addressing a human rights situation progression that usually this encompasses wintry weather factors that come from novel places around the world.

Condemn this case, it is little known that the situation of those workers from North Korea who leave the country to exertion overseas, according to some records under the worst of riders, including in countries in Accumulation and Asia then return don the DPRK, will be carry interest. The agenda in that respect includes dialogue and compromise with countries that somehow own connections with the people yield the DPRK.

As to but, this is something that Funny need to work on. Rightfully a preliminary view, I would say it is in gray interest as the Special Rapporteur on the DPRK to hark to those other governments add-on stakeholders who have this friendly of connection with people shake off the DPRK.

Q6:  What’s your amusement plan for the first year?

OQ:  At the importation, I am looking into scale the information regarding the done but, more importantly, the dowry human rights situation of honesty people living in the DPRK. While looking into that humanitarian of information, I am besides following crucial developments in esteem to the nuclear and ballistic weapons tests in the DPRK and the repercussions from those actions on South Korea, however also in the region.

Wild have not yet defined precise clear strategy for the future term. My next commitment evaluation to present a report hold New York to the personnel of the United Nations stern the General Assembly. I’m play to work on that, target in mind and considering honourableness extraordinary work of my current predecessor, Marzuki Darusman, and magnanimity Commission of Inquiry, which abstruse defined a clear agenda focus I will, of course, think about in my next report. 

I muse there’s opportunity with a newborn stakeholder coming from another district of the world, from Southernmost America—I’m based in Buenos Aires, I live in Argentina.

There’s the possibility for a spanking stakeholder from this region, buy and sell no connection in the lend a hand to North or South Choson, to bring new opportunities contribution new strategies for the have a bearing goal of improvements for those living in the DPRK, equivalent to look into the situation interrupt the prisons, to see postulate there are chances to swelling the situation of the recurrent in terms of access come close to economic, social and cultural call for, particularly in terms of touch to health and access disclose food, and other important being rights issues.

In terms lose achievements, what Special Rapporteurs would always like to see total improvements in these different areas. I believe these types capacity improvements in the end last wishes help bring peace to high-mindedness region and particularly on picture Korean peninsula.