1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will hold the first policy dialogue with the UN Department of Political Affairs (DPA) in Seoul on May 29. The delegations of the Foreign Ministry and the UN will be led by Director-General for International Organizations of the Foreign Ministry Lee Jang-keun and UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Miroslav Jenca, respectively.

2. The UN Department of Political Affairs is a key department of the UN Secretariat working to prevent and resolve conflicts around the world. The department closely watches and analyzes situations in countries and regions around the world, and plays an important role of supporting the work of the Security Council, which has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.

o The DPA also deals with issues on the Korean Peninsula, including by holding a briefing at the Secretariat when the Security Council discusses the North Korean nuclear and human rights issues. Assistant Secretary-General Jenca deals with issues in the Asia-Pacific, and oversees affairs related to the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and decolonization.

3. By holding the first policy dialogue with the DPA, the Foreign Ministry will strengthen cooperation with the UN Secretariat under new UN Secretary-General Guterres, and advance the ROK-UN relations in a more systematic and strategic way.

o In the upcoming policy dialogue, the two sides will exchange views on a range of issues, including North Korea and other issues on the Korean Peninsula, the situation in Northeast Asia, the UN’s conflict prevention activities, supporting Korean nationals seeking to work for the UN Secretariat, and cooperation between the ROK and the DPA.


* unofficial translation