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North Korea’s systematic human rights abuses have long drawn global condemnation. From forced labor camps to political repression, the situation demands urgent attention. For this reason we call for papers for the upcoming 2025 International Conference on North Korean Human Rights and Responsibility to Protect (R2P).

Despite pressing humanitarian issues like dire socio-economic conditions and insufficient access to basic necessities, North Korea continues to prioritize military spending over its people’s welfare. This state policy only elevates the suffering of the population.

The Kim regime has cultivated a rule of misinformation and fear for decades. Which has made the suffering of the North Korean people one of the most critical human rights issues of our time.

Thus, the International Conference on North Korean Human Rights and Responsibility to Protect (R2P) hosted by PSCORE aims to address these various human rights abuses within the framework of R2P.

Bang Ki-moon, former Secretary-General of the United Nations holding a speech at the 2023 R2P conference.
Former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Bang Ki-moon at the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) Conference 2023, hosted by PSCORE and NKHRC.

Applying Responsibility to Protect (R2P) to North Korean human rights issues

The Responsibility to Protect (R2P) is a United Nations endorsed principle that affirms the international community’s responsibility to intervene when a state fails to protect its population.

Rather than creating international law, R2P builds on existing legal foundations meant to protect the people. The principle focuses on prevention and prioritizing the protection of citizens. With this conference, PSCORE aims to apply this framework to the case of the human rights crisis in North Korea.

For this purpose, we call for papers from experts working in the fields of international law, human rights, political science, and related disciplines, applying R2P to the North Korean case.

The accepted final papers will then be invited to the conference to share the research. Moreover, PSCORE will fund the trip to Seoul, South Korea for the duration of the conference for selected candidates.

Areas of interest

Following this background, areas of interest for the PSCORE International Conference on North Korean Human Rights and Responsibility to Protect (R2P) include:

  • The legal foundations of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) principle
  • Challenges and opportunities for implementing R2P in the context of North Korea
  • Implantation in the United Nations and Universal Jurisdiction
  • The role of the UN, regional organizations, and other stakeholders in advancing R2P in North Korea
  • Strategies for promoting accountability and justice for human rights violations in North Korea, under the R2P framework
  • Applying the framework of R2P to North Korean human rights

Abstracts should be admitted by September 29th, 2024 via email to [email protected] and should not be longer than 300 – 500 words, clearly outlining the objectives, methodology, and key findings of the proposed paper. Names, affiliation, and contact information of all authors should be included in the submission.

We will notify all candidates by October 20th regarding the success of the submission.

Poster of the R2P Responsibility to Protect Conference 2023, hosted by PSCORE in Korean and English
2023 R2P and North Korean Human Rights Conference Poster.

Important Dates

Abstract submission deadline: September 29th, 2024

Notification of acceptance: October 20th, 2024

Conference date: Fall 2025, further information to be provided at a later date

Contact Information

For inquiries or submissions, please contact Bada Nam, Secretary-General at PSCORE at [email protected] or contact us via this form.