In March this year, the UN made a historic decision: to launch an official investigation into the widespread human rights violations in North Korea. We’ve campaigned for this Commission of Inquiry for many years, so this was a major milestone! But this is far from the end of the story – in fact, it’s just the beginning.

The Commission will be an independent inquiry led by international experts, who will look at reports from human rights organisations like CSW. They’ll also interview people who have escaped from North Korea, to get first-hand information. Then they’ll use this information to hold North Korea to account for its human rights violations.

However, we really need to keep praying. This is a great achievement, but by itself it won’t solve the crisis in North Korea, where persecution of religious believers is among the worst in the world. Any Christian the authorities find is likely to be sent to a prison camp.

This week please:

• Thank God for the long years of persistent advocacy that finally bore fruit;
• Thank God for this milestone, which could bring real change for the North Korean people;
• Ask God to protect North Korean refugees in China, vulnerable to being forcibly repatriated;
• Pray that the Commission’s work will make people around the world more aware of North Korea’s human rights situation;
• Pray that the North Korean authorities would cooperate with the UN;
• Pray that the UN will take decisive action on the Commission’s recommendations;
• Ask God to bless and protect the North Korean Christians who face daily terror as they live out their faith.