"Overcoming COVID-19, Importance of Multilateral Cooperation through International Organizations"…Minister Kang Kyung-wha, Multilateral Diplomatic Chiefs Video Conference

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the evening of the 6th, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha held a video conference with multilateral mission chiefs representing South Korea at international organizations such as the United Nations (UN) to discuss trends in the response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on multilateral platforms and ways to strengthen cooperation with international organizations including the UN and the World Health Organization (WHO).

The video conference was attended by five mission chiefs stationed at major international organizations, including the Ambassador to the UN, Ambassador to Geneva, Ambassador to the OECD, Ambassador to Austria and concurrently to Vienna, and Ambassador to UNESCO, as well as directors and bureau chiefs related to multilateral affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and staff from the COVID-19 New International Cooperation Task Force (TF).

Minister Kang emphasized that since COVID-19 cannot be resolved by unilateral efforts of some countries alone, multilateral cooperation through international organizations is increasingly important, and she urged proactive promotion of COVID-19 multilateral cooperative diplomacy reflecting South Korea’s experiences and strengths.

Furthermore, Minister Kang stressed the need to develop a Korean-style cooperative model of mutual growth to expand contributions to the international community and to transform the international community’s favorable evaluation of the Korean government’s exemplary response into diplomatic assets. She asked for efforts to ensure that health security-related friendly groups, scheduled to be launched in May under South Korea’s leadership at the UN (New York), WHO (Geneva), and UNESCO (Paris), become effective platforms leading action-oriented international cooperation. She also reviewed preparations for the WHO General Assembly to be held in May and requested continuous efforts on multilateral stages to enhance the visibility of Korean health diplomacy.

The attending mission chiefs reported on ▲the COVID-19 response measures of international organizations and trends in discussions among member states ▲plans for conducting multilateral diplomacy to expand South Korea’s contributions in the global COVID-19 response process. The mission chiefs noted that South Korea’s exemplary COVID-19 response is highly regarded on multilateral platforms and that expectations for South Korea’s future role are high. They emphasized the need to expand K-quarantine cooperation and participation in health security discussions to promote national interests and enhance global leadership.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official explained, "This meeting served as an opportunity for South Korea, recognized as a model country in COVID-19 response, to more effectively share its experiences at major multilateral platforms such as the UN and to explore international cooperation measures that can contribute to the global COVID-19 response."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.