Positive Assessment of Legal Amendments and the Removal of Derogatory Terms for Persons with Disabilities
Recommendation for a Shift Toward Inclusive Education Encompassing Persons with and without Disabilities
Need for International Support and Cooperation to Enhance North Korea’s Capacity for Awareness-Raising and Institutional Reform
North Korea became a State Party to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) by signing the Convention in July 2013 and ratifying it in November 2016. As a State Party to the CRPD, North Korea was required to submit, within two years after the Convention entered into force, a comprehensive report on the measures it had undertaken and the progress it had made to fulfill its obligations under the Convention. Accordingly, in December 2018, North Korea submitted its initial report on the implementation of the CRPD to the United Nations (UN) Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (hereinafter the Committee).
After reviewing North Korea’s initial report, the Committee presented North Korea with a list of issues in September 2022, containing 30 points of inquiry regarding the implementation of the CRPD, requesting additional information from North Korea. In response, North Korea submitted its replies to all 30 issues in December 2023. The Committee subsequently conducted a comprehensive review during its session in August 2025 and adopted concluding observations, which outlined its assessment, concerns, and recommendations regarding North Korea’s implementation of the CRPD.
