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E/C.12/KOR/CO/4 58. The Committee recommends that the State party expand the availability and accessibility of mental health services, in particular by promoting community-based care and allocating a larger percentage of the health budget to mental health-care services. Right to sexual and reproductive health 59. The Committee is concerned about the criminalization of abortion in the State party (art. 12). 60. The Committee urges the State party to decriminalize women undergoing abortion so as to guarantee women’s right to sexual and reproductive health and the protection of their dignity, and ensure that sexual and reproductive health services are made available and accessible to all. The Committee refers the State party to its general comment No. 22 (2016) on the right to sexual and reproductive health. Health care for persons with HIV/AIDS 61. The Committee is concerned at reports of medical personnel refusing medical care to persons with HIV/AIDS (art. 12). 62. The Committee urges the State party to ensure that persons with HIV/AIDS enjoy their right to health, by accessing and receiving care without discrimination. The Committee draws the attention of the State party to paragraphs 18 and 19, relating to non-discrimination and equal treatment, of its general comment No. 14 (2000) on the right to the highest attainable standard of health. Equal access to quality education 63. The Committee is concerned that in spite of the measures taken by the State party, the frequent recourse to night-time courses and extracurricular activities, which disadvantaged and marginalized households cannot afford, limits equal access to education, including to higher education, and deepens inequalities. The Committee is also concerned about the discriminatory impact of the system on individuals’ access to employment (arts. 13 and 14). 64. The Committee recommends that the State party take effective measures to ensure equal access to affordable and quality education, taking into account the special needs of disadvantaged and marginalized individuals. In particular, it recommends that the State party: (a) Limit the need to resort to night-time courses and extracurricular activities by ensuring the quality and delivery of school curricula; (b) Revise the secondary and tertiary education entrance systems to ensure equal access for all on the basis of capacity; (c) Monitor the impact of the regulatory measures taken to reduce recourse to night-time courses and extracurricular activities; (d) Pursue the egalitarian function of education, including with a view to promoting equality of opportunity and treatment in employment. Cultural diversity 65. The Committee is concerned about the low level of acceptance of multiculturalism among the State party’s population. While noting the measures taken to facilitate the social integration of non-nationals in the State party, the Committee is concerned at the lack of policies promoting cultural diversity that reach out to the population at large (art. 15). 66. The Committee recommends that the State party: (a) Promote the value of cultural diversity among its population, including by countering prejudices against non-nationals; 9

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Concluding observations on the fourth periodic report of the Republic of Korea

Concluding Observations

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Country

South Korea

Rights Involved

Right to adequate housing
Right to adequate standard of living
Right to education
Right to health
Right to social security
Right to take part in cultural life
Right to work
Rights of migrants/non-citizens
Rights of older persons
Rights of the child
Rights of women and girls

Issue

Accountability
Non-discrimination
Participation
Progressive realization
Resource allocation
Resource expenditure
Transparency

International Human Rights Body

Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Date: Oct 19, 2017

Summary: In their Concluding Observations of Korea, the CESCR provides recommendations to the State party to take measures to address gender discrimination and promote the rights to work, social security, housing, health and education, among others. On resources, the Committee urges the State party to: (a) Accelerate the increase of its investment in social spending, including by pursuing a more redistributive fiscal policy, in order to improve the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights, especially for marginalized and disadvantaged groups, and address social inequalities; (b) Raise the awareness of local authorities and public agencies of their duties under the Covenant; (c) Strengthen monitoring and accountability mechanisms for the delivery of social services, by both public agencies and private entities. Additionally, the Committee recommends that the State party (a) accelerate the increase of the level of its official development assistance, with a view to achieving the international commitment of 0.7 per cent of its gross national income and (b) seek a better balance of the share of grants and loans in aid to least developed countries in accordance with the Committee’s previous concluding observations.

Primary Documents

E:C.12:KOR:CO:4.pdf
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Resourcing Rights

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Concluding observations on the fourth periodic report of the Republic of Korea

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