Preparatory Committee Meeting for Next Year's 'UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Conference' Held

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter]The 2nd Preparatory Committee Meeting for the successful hosting of the '2021 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting,' to be held in Korea next year, was held on the 30th.

The meeting, co-chaired by Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and Defense Minister Suh Wook at the Ministry of National Defense building, was attended by deputy minister-level officials from nine ministries including the Office for Government Policy Coordination, National Intelligence Service, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Ministry of Health and Welfare, and Ministry of Science and ICT.

The attendees discussed measures to adjust the meeting schedule and format by comprehensively considering the domestic and international COVID-19 situation and the opinions of the UN and member states.

Considering the purpose of this ministerial meeting to promote the expansion of contributions from countries to UN peacekeeping operations, the Ministry of National Defense stated that they decided to discover practical contribution pledges required by the UN as the host country and strengthen inter-ministerial cooperation to encourage member states' participation.

At the meeting, Minister Kang said, "As a responsible member of the international community, we aim to overcome the crisis of international cooperation heightened by the impact of COVID-19 and contribute to establishing a stronger international peace order in the post-COVID-19 era," adding, "Through the successful hosting of next year's meeting, we must enhance the effectiveness and relevance of peacekeeping operations and create momentum for the restoration of international cooperation and collaboration."

Minister Suh stated, "Next year's meeting, the first to be held in Asia, will be a forum for in-depth discussions on international security and peacekeeping issues in the post-COVID-19 era," and added, "We plan to present contribution measures that highlight our strengths related to the main theme of this meeting, 'Technology and Medical,' to lead international cooperation and solidarity."

The UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting is the highest-level meeting body in the field of UN peacekeeping operations, launched in 2015 to invite defense and foreign ministers from 154 countries, representatives of international organizations, and private experts to identify and review current issues and contribution pledges from each country.

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