A/ HRC/46/51 to enhance communication and engagement between the two Koreas, and its demolition marked the fragile nature of peace and denuclearization negotiations on the Korean peninsula. The summit meetings between the Koreas and between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the United States of America during 2018 and 2019 had generated high expectations for the peaceful resolution of conflict, but these measures have not yet yielded concrete outcomes. Measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic globally have further reduced space for negotiations. Together with the Republic of Korea, the new administration of the United States should explore practical approaches to pursue denuclearization, peace and human rights on the Korean Peninsula. 5. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has continued to refrain from nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests since November 2017, but at the same time the Government has regularly exhibited progress in nuclear and missile technologies. The Special Rapporteur continues to support all efforts to negotiate on the security agenda with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The Special Rapporteur, in his bilateral discussions with the United States and the Republic of Korea, has persistently called on the need to apply a principled approach to negotiations and not to shy away from raising concerns about the human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, including regarding the lack of cooperation with UN mechanisms, in particular with his mandate and OHCHR. Negotiations should also include a commitment from the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to meaningful progress and engagement on human rights. The denuclearization agenda, the urgent need for peace on the Korean Peninsula and the grave human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea are interconnected and reinforce each other. In this vein, the latest informal discussion at the Security Council in December 2020 on the human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is a step in the right direction. 6. There is no doubt that the Security Council has an important obligation with respect to a country which perpetuates serious and pervasive human rights abuses and which has illegally acquired nuclear weapons and ballistic missile technology capable of flying nuclear war-heads across borders, thereby imposing threat to international peace and security. The Security Council has been called on to take action on the human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea by other relevant UN bodies, namely the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council, specifically to refer the situation to the International Criminal Court. This decisive action has yet to be realized. In the view of the Special Rapporteur, the Security Council must also not lose sight of the adverse consequences of the severe sanctions regime aimed at curtailing the resources for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to develop nuclear and missile technologies. According to limited but repeated information, the sanctions regime has impacted both humanitarian assistance and the basic economic and social rights of the people in the country. While the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea seems to make progress in developing its weapon capabilities, the people bear much of the burden of sanctions, and addressing this reality should not be a taboo. 7. The Special Rapporteur calls on the countries in the region, particularly those neighboring the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation, to actively engage on human rights issues in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, as they have engaged in the denuclearization and security agendas. As stressed repeatedly, the two matters are interlinked and could provoke political and social instability if not properly addressed. Given the geographical proximity, historical diplomatic engagements and economic reliance between their countries, the Special Rapporteur encourages the Chinese authorities to exercise their influence and leverage to encourage the Government of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to initiate dialogue with his mandate with a view to improving human rights on the ground. 8. Due to the restrictions on travel as COVID-19 preventative measures, the number of escapees from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea arriving in the Republic of Korea has declined significantly. In 2020, only 229 escapees arrived in the Republic of Korea, a 4