Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what human rights conditions are required of the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for European-funded aid projects in that country; if he will press for greater use of such conditions; and what assessment he has made of the effect of such projects.

The EU has worked closely with like-minded partners to ensure momentum is maintained on the human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). This has included sponsoring strong resolutions in both the UN Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly. While the EU does not maintain a development aid budget with the DPRK, the EU does provide funding for a food nutrition programme targeted at the most vulnerable DPRK citizens with a current average annual value of €6 million.

Like the UK, EU member states also fund a range of bilateral programmes within the DPRK. While a direct impact on human rights is not a condition for EU projects, the impact of projects on the DPRK human rights situation is carefully considered. The UK intends to continue working closely with other EU member states to ensure areas of concern continue to be addressed. The EU is willing to consider engagement with the DPRK government through dialogue when it includes discussion of the human rights situation.