Lee Tae-ho, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs: "Korea Actively Contributes to Strengthening Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Regimes"

Attendance at the Stockholm Initiative Ministerial Video Conference on Nuclear Disarmament and NPT

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[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the 9th, Lee Tae-ho, the 2nd Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, attended the Stockholm Initiative ministerial-level video conference on nuclear disarmament and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), jointly hosted by Germany and Sweden, and discussed cooperation measures for advancing global nuclear disarmament and achieving outcomes at the upcoming NPT Review Conference next year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on the 10th.

The Stockholm Initiative is a ministerial-level consultative body composed of 16 non-nuclear-weapon states aiming to seek a joint stance on nuclear disarmament issues. Participants include Sweden, Korea, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, the Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Argentina, Kazakhstan, Spain, Switzerland, Ethiopia, Canada, and Finland.

The NPT Review Conference is held every five years to assess the implementation status of the treaty. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the NPT’s entry into force and the 25th anniversary of its indefinite extension. The Review Conference was originally scheduled to be held in New York from April 27 to May 22 but was tentatively postponed to early next year due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vice Minister Lee emphasized, "The NPT, which marks its 50th anniversary this year, must continue to serve as the cornerstone of the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime," adding, "The international community must work together to advance nuclear disarmament aimed at a world without nuclear weapons and to ensure that the NPT Review Conference scheduled for next year produces meaningful outcomes."

He added, "Korea, as one of the beneficiaries of the NPT regime that prevents nuclear weapons proliferation and guarantees the peaceful use of nuclear energy, is actively contributing to the success of the NPT Review Conference and the strengthening of the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime."

Regarding Korea’s specific contributions in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation, Vice Minister Lee introduced, "The Korean government led the adoption of the ‘Youth, Disarmament and Non-proliferation’ resolution at the 2019 United Nations General Assembly, and as part of efforts to enhance youth participation in disarmament and non-proliferation, it is promoting the holding of a ‘Youth Model NPT Conference’ to raise awareness among future generations about the importance of the NPT regime."

This meeting was held to review the preparation status for the NPT Review Conference, which was scheduled to be held this year on the 50th anniversary of the treaty’s entry into force but was tentatively postponed to early next year due to COVID-19, and to explore ways to achieve outcomes at the Review Conference. It was attended by ministers, vice ministers, or senior officials from 16 non-nuclear-weapon states under the NPT, including Korea.

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