1.   UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs. Louise Arbour, is scheduled to pay an official visit to the 
Republic of Korea from September 13 to 17, 2004, at the invitation by the ROK government.

2.   During the visit, High Commissioner Arbour will participate in the Seminar on Good Governance Practices 
for the Promotion of Human Rights (September 15 to 16) and the 7th International Conference for National 
Human Rights Institutions (September 14 to 17), each of which will be jointly organized by the Office of the 
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the ROK government and the National Human 
Rights Commission of Korea, respectively.  She will also pay courtesy calls on the Speaker of the National 
Assembly and the Prime Minister; meet with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Minister of Justice, 
the President of the National Human Rights Commission, and the Minister of Court Administration and 
participate in a discussion session with human rights organizations.

3.   The post of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights was created in 1993, and it is appointed by the 
UN Secretary General.  UN High Commissioner for Human Rights is the official with principal responsibility 
for United Nations human rights activities, and the OHCHR is committed to promote international 
cooperation for the protection of human rights, encourage ratification of and supports implementation of 
international human rights treaties, and support human rights bodies.

4.   High Commissioner Arbour is from Canada, and she had been appointed as Chief Prosecutor for the 
International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda.  She took office as the UN High 
Commissioner for Human Rights on July 1, 2004.  Her visit to the ROK will be her first official activity 
overseas since she assumed office.

                                                                  Spokesperson of MOFAT

* unofficial translation