Canada taking "harsher line" on DPRK's UPR

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 000869 NOFORN SIPDIS AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE PASS TO AMCONSUL AMSTERDAM AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PASS TO AMCONSUL QUEBEC E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/12/03 TAGS: PHUM PREL AORC SOCI UN KN CA SUBJECT: Canada taking "harsher line" on DPRK's UPR REF: STATE 123209 CLASSIFIED BY: Scott Bellard, Minister Counselor for Political Affairs, State, POL; REASON: 1.4(B),(D) ¶1. (C/NF) Canada agrees with U.S. views and suggested questions and recommendations for the UN Human Rights Council's (HRC) Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the DPRK (reftel),according to Cyndy Nelson, Policy Advisor for Human Rights, and Daniel Ulmer, Policy Officer for Human Rights, in the Human Rights, Gender Equality, Health, and Population Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT). Nelson added that Canada plans to intervene at the December 7 session with its own recommendations, which take an even "harsher line" than those of the U.S. Ulmer commented that Canada is not expecting an "open or frank" response from the DPRK, but DFAIT believes that this is "a rare and important opportunity" to engage the DPRK on human rights issues. Nelson confirmed that Canada intends to intervene on all UPR sessions, and requested information on U.S. plans for other UPRs. Ulmer noted that DFAIT selects its recommendations using "SMART" criteria -- Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely, as well as those that can be fully realized within the four-year timeline of UPR. ¶2. (C/NF) Ulmer outlined the six areas in which Canada will offer recommendations at the HRC UPR of the DPRK: ¶1. The cessation of public executions and the use of torture and the need for the DPRK to ratify international conventions on torture; ¶2. The implementation of human rights obligations - specifically on forced labor and arbitrary detentions - to which the DPRK is already a signatory; ¶3. Greater freedom of association, freedom of movement, and freedom of religion within the DPRK; ¶4. Ensure access to food and drinking water for all North Koreans; ¶5. Increased access by humanitarian agencies - specifically the UN World Food Program; and, ¶6. Greater DPRK cooperation with the HRC and the DPRK special rapporteur. ¶3. (C/NF) Ulmer emphasized that, although Canada intends to "call a spade a spade" with "credible and meaningful" recommendations to the DPRK, DFAIT believes that a judicious selection of recommendations that are "implementable with the possibility of acceptance" has the best chance of success, given the typically defensive posture of the DPRK on human rights issues. JACOBSON