Democratic+People's+Republic+of+Korea+Position+paper

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Committee: International Labour Organization Topic: Child labour Country: Democratic People's Republic of Korea

From 1960 to 1980 The Democratic People's Republic of Korea was a progressive nation in the social sector which provided good quality health services and free and universal education, but, during the nineties all this things changed due to the combination of the fall of the Sovietic block and a chain of natural disasters that ended in a period of famine. From this moment the economic and social collapse has carried the country to the bakruptcy and to their international isolation. Regarding the current position of the suggested topic, child labour, it is suspected that it could be a worrying situation because of their external isolation, the condemnation made by the governement, and the limited pressence of represented countries and international organisms such as UNICEF, FAO, OIT, in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, made the available information and data practically void.

The national policy of The Democratic People's Republic of Korea about child labour it is expressed in its intervention under the eyes of the United Nations, as a consequence of the manifestations realised in the Summary record of the 459th meeting on the Convention of the Rights of the Child. On point number 17 of the committee, Mr. CHAE Ryang Il, represantive of Democratic People's Republic of Korea says: '' that the authorities in his country were taking the necessary steps to protect children against any element that might prove detrimental to their sound spiritual and moral development. The authorities were in particular endeavouring to prohibit publications or broadcasts that were pornographic, immoral, ideologically incorrect or incited hatred. With regard to the positive influence of the international media, the Korean authorities encouraged publications and broadcasts that had an educative value.'' On points 30 and 31 Mr.CHAE Ryang Il says replying to the questions concerning corporal punishment and sexual abuse of children within the family: ''30. that those serious issues were extensively discussed, but in fact such phenomena did not occur in Korean society. The entire educational system was based on the teaching of moral values and mutual respect between parents and children. Schooling was compulsory and therefore all Korean citizens were brought up to respect those values within society, of which the family was the basic unit. Furthermore, the media, especially radio and television, regularly broadcasted information about parents' responsibilities towards their children and their duty to set an example. 9Parents also maintained close contacts with schoolteachers to help resolve any problems that might arise''. 31. ''With regard to child labour, schooling was compulsory for all children up to the age of 16 years, without exception, even in the remotest parts of the country, and children could not be admitted to employment until the age of 17 years and were not allowed to engage in arduous work. There was no problem of clandestine child labour in the country, and there were also no street children, since all young persons were obliged to pursue their education, that being the responsibility of the State''. So, the political position the Democratic Republic of Korea does not consider any tipe of child labour.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is represented in some international organisms such as UNICEF but, more as a consignee than as a contributor in the programmes of development and aid of these insituion. The worrying situation of social necesity that goes through this country, oblied UNICEF to start working in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in 1985 and to inaugurate an UNICEF office 1996. The country accepts the aids from this humanitarian insitutions but it is not very receptive in confirming and approving the agreements adopted. We can observe these by seeing that they have not ratifiied yet the Convention 182 of the OIT about Prohibition and Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, even they have not ratify some agreements that guarantee the Human Rights.

It is supposed, that there is child labour in the Democratic People's Republic fo Korea but there are no official data that confirm it because the offcial position is of absolute negation, and the international pressence it is scarce and it is occuppied in sanitary and nutritional issues of the population. It is usual that in countries where poverty exists, natural disasters, economics, political dictations, etc., that at the same time exists child labour, because when the civil rights are supressed, there are also affected the children rights which are the most vulnerable in the society.

The current situation of the country it is very complicated due to the prebellic pressure between both of the Koreas, that has made a country practically closed to any external influence. This situation is affecting negatively the guarantee of civil rights including child labour.As it has happened in all the countries with a communist government, the global policy developed since the year 1945 in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea including the one that affects the Children Rights and their child labour, has been an absolute failure. My country, has do nothing to avoid this situtation. Has promoted the corruption in the government, it has became internationally isolated and has impoverish its population with nuclear and military programs that even threaten the global peace and has condemned to a submission that worships the personality of their dictator. I believe that the solution is another way of government, with another constitution, and with other civil rights, with a big pressence of international aids, blocking and penalizing the current government it is also needed an economic and social development to improve the country.

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