Sec. 3. Sense of Congress
594 words·~3 min read·
/bill/117/hr/7332/ih/section-3A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
It is the sense of Congress that— promoting information access in North Korea continues to be a successful method of countering DPRK propaganda and the United States Government should continue to support nongovernmental radio broadcasting to North Korea and promote other emerging methods in this space; because refugees among North Koreans fleeing into China face severe punishments upon their forcible return, the United States should urge the Government of the People’s Republic of China to— immediately halt its forcible repatriation of North Koreans who would face persecution or torture upon return; allow the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) unimpeded access to North Koreans inside China to determine whether they are refugees and whether they require assistance; fulfill its obligations under the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, the 1984 Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, and the Agreement on the Upgrading of the UNHCR Mission in the People’s Republic of China to UNHCR Branch Office in the People’s Republic of China (signed December 1, 1995); address the concerns of the United Nations Committee against Torture by incorporating into domestic legislation the principle of non-refoulement; and recognize the legal status of North Korean women who marry or have children with Chinese citizens, and ensure that all such mothers and children are granted resident status and access to education and other public services in accordance with Chinese law and consistent with international standards; the United States Government should continue to promote the effective and transparent delivery and distribution of any humanitarian aid provided in North Korea to ensure it reaches its intended recipients to the point of consumption or utilization by cooperating closely with the Government of the Republic of Korea and international and nongovernmental organizations; the United States currently blocks United States passports from being used to travel to North Korea without a special validation from the Department of State, and the Department of State should continue to take steps to increase public awareness about the risks and dangers of travel by United States citizens to North Korea; the United Nations has a significant role to play in promoting and improving human rights in North Korea and should press for access for the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in North Korea, as well as for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; the Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues should be appointed without delay to properly promote and coordinate North Korean human rights and humanitarian issues and to participate in policy planning and implementation with respect to refugee issues; the United States should urge North Korea to repeal the Reactionary Thought and Culture Denunciation Law and other draconian laws, regulations, and decrees as their implementation manifestly violates the rights to freedom of opinion and expression and freedom of thought, conscience, and religion; the United States should urge North Korea to ensure that any restrictions on addressing the COVID–19 pandemic are necessary, proportionate, nondiscriminatory, time-bound, and transparent, and allow international staff to operate inside the DPRK to provide international assistance based on independent needs assessments; the United States should continue to seek cooperation from all foreign governments to allow the UNHCR access to process North Korean refugees overseas for resettlement; and the Secretary of State, through diplomacy by senior officials, including United States ambassadors to Asia-Pacific countries, and in close cooperation with South Korea, should make every effort to promote the protection of North Korean refugees, escapees, and defectors.