Kirby to head UN inquiry into North Korea

The United Nations Human Rights Council announced this week that former High Court judge Michael Kirby will lead a three-member team investigating possible human rights abuses in North Korea. 

The inquiry will continue for six months, and is slated to start on 1 July, when it will begin to gather information and analyse allegations of serious human rights abuses, such as torture, starvation, prison camps and murder. The commission will rely largely on evidence from North Koreans who have fled the country. 

Aside from his experience as a High Court judge, Kirby should be well-prepared to undertake the investigation. He has previously served as president of the International Commission of Jurists and as UN special representative to Cambodia, and currently serves on the UNAIDS Global Commission on Sustainable Health. 

He has said he was surprised to be selected, but will approach the matter with "complete dispassion and without preconceptions." 

North Korea, which has a history of ignoring international sanctions, has condemned the inquiry as a political ploy. Nevertheless, the commission will attempt to make contact with leader Kim Jong-un and gain permission to enter the country. Kirby has promised to "make every endeavour to pay our respects to the people and government of North Korea; undoubtedly observe due process … and give them a full opportunity to respond."

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