Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo’s remarks to the 2019 Global Peace Forum on Korea
New York, 28 September 2019
I am pleased to again send my warm greetings to the 2019 Global Peace Forum on Korea. Last year, the Korean Peninsula experienced momentous developments. We witnessed summits and family reunions. And many commitments were made. Today, the international community is eager for talks to resume and progress to be made.
I am glad that the United Nations has been a platform for the two Koreas to send messages of collaboration and peace. Over the past 12 months, the Panmunjom Declaration was circulated as an official document of the General Assembly and Security Council; traditional Korean wrestling was listed as Intangible Cultural Heritage thanks to a joint application from both Koreas, and the World Taekwondo and International Taekwon-Do Federation promoted peace at the United Nations Office at Geneva.
These symbolic steps are crucial. But more is needed. The Secretary-General continues to urge the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to begin working-level talks with the United States, as agreed by the two leaders in June, and to resume inter-Korean dialogue. The summits involving the leaders of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea and United States respectively remain important milestones.
They have built an atmosphere conducive to advancing sustainable peace and complete and verifiable denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions. There could be setbacks, but there is now a foundation to make tangible progress on the core issues. The United Nations system and our Good Offices are available to support the diplomatic efforts of the parties. I wish you great success in the discussions ahead and look forward to the results of the forum. Thank you.
