The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) welcomes the final agreement of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea that upholds to maintain the independence of the Commission. The agreement not only is a clear reminder of the efforts that took to establish the Commission as an independent body as witnessed by the controversy and 3 year long debate surrounding its establishment 7 years ago, but also brings awareness once more that independence is the fundamental quality of all national human rights institutions.
The Commission highly values the National Assembly’s decision to maintain the Commission as an independent body following a democratic consensus building process. The Commission will be committed and dedicated to the protection and promotion of human rights so that a heightened social expectation for maintaining the independence that we had witnessed on this occasion will ultimately translate into an increased public awareness for human rights.
The newly elected government proposes to advance Korea’s status as a global leader. In recognition of the fact that the measure of a nation’s global competitiveness in the future will be judged within the framework of international standards, the human rights conditions of a country that is so strongly emphasized within the international community will be an important index in assessing a nation’s level of advancement. The Commission will make every effort to work on diverse areas of human rights concerns so that the new administrations economic advancements will be closely met with advancements in the human rights field.
During the last month, many people landed their support and participated in the efforts to maintain the independent status of the Commission. The Commission appreciates the strong support extended to us, especially from the international community including the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). All members of the Commission, as human rights advocates, pledge to make every effort to protect and promote human rights in the national, regional and international level.
Thank you.
AHN Kyong-Whan
Chairperson
National Human Rights Commission of Korea
# # #
About AHRC: The Asian Human Rights Commission is a regional non-governmental organisation monitoring and lobbying human rights issues in Asia. The Hong Kong-based group was founded in 1984.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
