§7817 — Title 22 Foreign Relations and Intercourse | U.S. Code

Summary

The President must appoint a Special Envoy for North Korean human rights at the State Department, and the Senate must approve that choice. The Envoy should be a respected human rights expert, have the rank of ambassador, and serve as long as the President wants. The Envoy’s main job is to lead U.S. efforts to improve human rights in North Korea and help protect North Koreans who flee, working with the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration. The Envoy must help plan and run programs under this chapter; talk with North Korean officials about rights; support and coordinate international efforts (including with the United Nations, the European Union, North Korea, and other Northeast Asian countries); work with non-government organizations; recommend funding for activities under sections 7812 and 7814; review protection strategies like training and exchanges; and make an action plan for implementing UN Commission on Human Rights Resolution 2004/13. The Envoy must report to the proper congressional committees within 180 days after October 18, 2004, and every year through 2022, about the previous 12 months’ work.

Title 22, §7817

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The President shall appoint a special envoy for North Korean human rights issues within the Department of State (hereafter in this section referred to as the “Special Envoy”), by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Special Envoy should be a person of recognized distinction in the field of human rights who shall have the rank of ambassador and shall hold the office at the pleasure of the President.

(b)The central objective of the Special Envoy is to coordinate and promote efforts to improve respect for the fundamental human rights of the people of North Korea, including, in coordination with the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, the protection of those people who have fled as refugees.

(c)The Special Envoy shall—

(1)participate in the formulation and the implementation of activities carried out pursuant to this chapter;

(2)engage in discussions with North Korean officials regarding human rights;

(3)support international efforts to promote human rights and political freedoms in North Korea, including coordination and dialogue between the United States and the United Nations, the European Union, North Korea, and the other countries in Northeast Asia;

(4)consult with non-governmental organizations who have attempted to address human rights in North Korea;

(5)make recommendations regarding the funding of activities authorized in section 7812 and 7814 of this title;

(6)review strategies for improving protection of human rights in North Korea, including technical training and exchange programs; and

(7)develop an action plan for supporting implementation of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights Resolution 2004/13.

(d)Not later than 180 days after October 18, 2004, and annually thereafter through 2022, the Special Envoy shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the activities undertaken in the preceding 12 months under subsection (c).

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2018—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 115–198 substituted “2022” for “2017”. 2012—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 112–172 substituted “2017” for “2012”. 2008—Pub. L. 110–346, § 8(1), substituted “North Korean human rights issues” for “human rights in North Korea” in section catchline. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 110–346, § 8(2), in first sentence, substituted “North Korean human rights issues” for “human rights in North Korea” and inserted “, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate” before period at end and, in second sentence, inserted “who shall have the rank of ambassador and shall hold the office at the pleasure of the President” before period at end. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 110–346, § 8(3), inserted “, including, in coordination with the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, the protection of those people who have fled as refugees” after “North Korea”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 110–346, § 8(4), added par. (1), redesignated former pars. (1) to (6) as (2) to (7), respectively, and substituted “section 7812 and 7814” for “section 7812” in par. (5). Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 110–346, § 8(5), substituted “thereafter through 2012” for “for the subsequent 5 year-period”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Consultations on Reuniting Korean Americans With Family Members in North Korea Pub. L. 117–263, div. E, title LV, § 5599B, Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3400, formerly set out as a note under this section, was transferred and is set out as a note under section 7818 of this title.

§7817 Special Envoy on North Korean human rights issues