Korea Association for Human Rights Studies

Issues White Paper

Pyongyang, December 11 (KCNA) -- The Korea Association for Human Rights
Studies issued a white paper on Dec. 11 on the 75th anniversary of the adoption
of the World Declaration of Human Rights at the third session of the UN General
Assembly on Dec. 10, 1948.
The white paper stressed that the 75-year-long history of the World Declaration
of Human Rights shows that there are still lots of ordeals and challenges to be
overcome in order to completely realize the genuine human rights desired so
much by mankind. It also teaches the truth that only when the international
community aspiring after justice and truth stands up in union to the high-handed
and arbitrary practices of those forces seeking hegemony while going against the
human rights and humanitarianism, can a Utopia of genuine human rights come
true, it said.
The World Declaration of Human Rights is the first document adopted by the
United Nations in reflection of the desire and wishes of the international
community to protect and promote the human rights, and its major target is to
realize the spirit and goal of the declaration and the basic human rights, the white
paper pointed out.
Since its adoption, the international community has so far made sustained efforts
for the complete and universal enjoyment of human rights, the white paper said,
adding:
The "International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination" was adopted on Dec. 21, 1965 and many other international
conventions on human rights, including "International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights", "Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women" and "Convention on Children Rights", were adopted and came
into effect one after another, and human rights organizations for implementing
them were established, thus actively contributing to protecting and promoting the
human rights worldwide.
In addition, the world human rights conference held in Vienna of Austria in June
1993 adopted the "Vienna declaration and action program" to reaffirm trust in the

rights of human being stipulated by the above-mentioned declaration and apply
them to practice.
However, swimming against such efforts by the international community, some
countries and regions of the world are still denying the World Declaration of
Human Rights and publicly committing practices running counter to it.
The dignity and rights of human being mentioned by the declaration are now
ruthlessly being violated in the U.S. and other Western countries where all sorts
of social evils such as gun-related crimes, racial discrimination, violent actions by
police and maltreatment of women and children are rampant, the white paper
said, citing data to prove such facts.
The human rights situation in EU countries is little short of that in the U.S., the
white paper said, and went on:
The criminal moves of the U.S. and the West to block the international protection
and promotion of human rights, contrary to the World Declaration of Human
Rights, are also being brought to light in the fact that they have reduced the UN
human rights arena, a theatre of dialogue and cooperation for settling the human
rights issues, into a theatre of confrontation for attaining their sinister political
purpose.
In the UN human rights arena, the U.S. and the West are resorting to high-
handed and arbitrary practices and injustice is prevailing over justice, contrary to
the principle of respect for sovereignty and equality of sovereignty, the basis of
the UN Charter.
The U.S. and other Western countries are noisily calling for making this year
marking the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the World Declaration of Human
Rights a decisive occasion for improving the situation of countries with poor
human right records.
The "human rights abusers" touted by them are the anti-imperialist independent
countries standing against the high-handed and arbitrary practices of the U.S.
and the West.

It is a trite method of the U.S. to seek to tarnish and devil the image of those
countries not obedient to it over "human rights issues" in a bid to bring down their
regimes and social systems.
The most important lesson, taught by the present reality in which the noble spirit
and purpose of the World Declaration of Human Rights have not been realized
yet, is that genuine human rights can be guaranteed and realized only when the
sovereignty is thoroughly defended.
Human rights, not guaranteed by the sovereignty of a state, are nothing but a
castle on the sand, and if the national power is weak and the sovereignty is not
defended, it is impossible to guarantee elementary rights to life and existence, to
say nothing of individuals' dignity and rights to development.
The most serious challenge threatening the existence and development of
mankind at present is the unethical crimes of the U.S. and its followers that
unhesitatingly invade sovereign states and massacre innocent inhabitants in
order to maintain their hegemony and realize their interests.
The DPRK opted for the road of increasing the self-defensive capabilities,
enduring all sorts of hardships and ordeals. This is aimed to forever put an end to
the tyranny of the U.S. imperialists, who have imposed all sorts of misfortune and
sufferings on the Korean people for many years, and to defend the national
sovereignty, development and interests.
Thanks to its powerful deterrence for self-defence, the DPRK could concentrate
efforts on the economic development and the improvement of the people's living
standard at its own will despite the ever-escalating war moves, sanctions and
blockade by the hostile forces.
The 75-year history of the World Declaration of Human Rights tells who has truly
defended human rights and who has violated human rights and where the way
for ensuring genuine human rights is.
The ideal human rights situation, which the whole of mankind has yearned for
while adopting the World Declaration of Human Rights 75 years ago, does not
comeof its own accord with the passage of time.

The world progressives aspiring after genuine human dignity and rights, justice
and truth should heighten their vigilance to the maximum against the ever-
escalating intervention by the U.S. and its vassal forces under the signboard of
"human rights protection", and courageously frustrate the obstacles, ordeals and
challenges through their unity, solidarity and alliance. -0-