"COVID-19 Multilateral Cooperation, Opportunity for Korea"…Diplomatic Academy Holds 'Post-Pandemic' International Issues Conference

Minister Kang Kyung-wha: "The Korean Government Will Demonstrate Leadership in Strengthening Multilateralism Centered on the UN"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Korea National Diplomatic Academy held the '2020 IFANS Conference on Global Affairs' over two days until the 1st, under the theme "The World After the Pandemic: Geopolitical Competition and the Role of Multilateralism."

At this conference, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha delivered a keynote speech, stating that the Korean government will take greater responsibility and leadership to strengthen multilateralism centered on the United Nations (UN), based on the understanding and support of its citizens. She also added that Korea will continue to expand solidarity with like-minded groups to share domestic quarantine experiences internationally, participate in the development of vaccines as global public goods, and strengthen the roles of universal multilateral organizations such as the UN and WHO.

In the first session held the previous day, moderated by Kim Jun-hyung, President of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, foreign scholars participated in a discussion under the theme "Reconstruction of the World Order After the Pandemic and the Restoration of the Role of Multilateralism."

The participants emphasized the urgent need at this time to strengthen effective and efficient multilateralism amid increasing economic, security, and environmental interdependence concerning the future of multilateralism. In particular, they proposed as solutions to prevent the decline of multilateralism: ▲ the necessity for middle powers to demonstrate leadership through solidarity in response to unilateral policies of major powers ▲ the need to link regionalism with global multilateralism.

In the second session on the 1st, moderated by Oh Young-joo, Director of the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security, domestic experts gathered to discuss under the theme "Beyond Geopolitics: Korea's Role in the Reshaping of Multilateralism."

The participants pointed out that the existing multilateral international order is accelerating its reorganization due to the COVID-19 situation, highlighting ▲ multilateralism driven by solidarity among middle powers rather than hegemony-centered major powers ▲ the need for leadership capable of reorganizing the multilateral order established since 1945 to fit the circumstances and demands of the 21st century ▲ the important task of building a multilateral system that cooperates with various actors such as civil society and corporations beyond the nation-state.

Furthermore, the participants emphasized that the disintegration of the existing multilateral order and the international community's movement toward new multilateral cooperation due to COVID-19 provide new opportunities for Korea's multilateral diplomacy. To this end, they proposed actively reviewing ▲ the refinement of the values and philosophical foundations of Korea's multilateral diplomacy ▲ reflection on Korea's capacity and responsibility as a middle power to lead international cooperation and securing public support ▲ strategic selection of international issues and initiatives that Korea can lead.

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