I would like
to begin by extending my sincere congratulations to
Ambassador Al-Nasser on his assumption of the
presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth
session. I have every confidence that under his able
leadership this session will be guided to a fruitful
conclusion.
May I also take this opportunity to extend my
warmest congratulations to Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon on his re-election as Secretary-General of the
United Nations, with unanimous support from Member
States, and to thank him for the great commitment and
devotion he has shown over the past five years to
achieving the vision of a responsible United Nations. I
have no doubt that in his second term he will make an
even greater contribution to creating a stronger United
Nations for a better world.
This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the
Republic of Korea’s membership in the United
Nations. It would be no exaggeration to say that the
Republic of Korea came into the world with the United
Nations and grew up along with the Organization. It
was under United Nations auspices that the democratic
Government of the Republic of Korea was established
in 1948. Through a General Assembly resolution (195
(III)), the Government of the Republic of Korea gained
international recognition as the only lawful
Government on the Korean peninsula. When the
Korean War broke out two years later, United Nations
forces played a decisive role in defending the country.
In the aftermath of the war and during the years of
national reconstruction, the United Nations provided us
with generous economic assistance and the concept of
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universal human rights, thus promoting progress on
both the economic and democratic fronts.
In spite of such special historic ties between the
United Nations and the Republic of Korea, it was only
with the end of the Cold War, in 1991, more than
40 years later, that the Republic of Korea was admitted
to the United Nations. For the past 20 years, the
Republic of Korea has made every effort to realize the
causes and values of the United Nations. We have
played an active role in various areas of international
cooperation, including the global fight against poverty,
sustainable development, the promotion of human
rights and democracy, and the maintenance of
international peace and security.
The Republic of Korea began its journey as one
of the poorest countries in the world, engulfed in war
and poverty, and has managed to achieve remarkable
success on both the economic and democratic fronts. It
may therefore be rightly said that the Republic of
Korea is an exemplary international success story, fully
embracing and reflecting the values espoused by the
United Nations, be they those relating to democracy,
human rights or development.
Now the Republic of Korea wishes to give back
to the international community even more than it has
received. We stand ready to extend a helping hand to
those in need, providing them with appropriate support
and care. We are keen to cooperate closely with the
United Nations and to play a constructive role in
combating the various challenges facing the
international community.
Maintaining international peace and security is
the fundamental responsibility of the United Nations.
For the past 60 years, the United Nations has made
every effort to prevent war and armed conflict in the
international arena. Furthermore, it has provided varied
and creative means for maintaining sustainable peace
in dangerous parts of the world, from preventive
diplomacy and peacekeeping to post-conflict
peacebuilding. The most striking example may be in
the advancement of United Nations peacekeeping
operations. There has been an increase in demand for
United Nations peacekeeping operations since the end
of the Cold War. As a result, not only has there been an
increase in the number of personnel, but the work of
the operations has also become more diverse and
multifaceted, extending beyond the monitoring of
ceasefires to assisting in nation-building.
Peacekeeping operations offer great hope for
millions of those who suffer in the midst of war and
natural disasters. The Republic of Korea is proud to
participate in 10 United Nations peacekeeping
missions, including those in Haiti and Lebanon.
Today, while still struggling with conventional
security threats, the international community faces new
types of security threats, such as the spread of weapons
of mass destruction (WMDs) and the threat of
terrorism. The international community must
strengthen its non-proliferation regime in order to
prevent the proliferation of nuclear, biological and
chemical weapons and long-range missiles.
Furthermore, the threat of transnational terrorism
has emerged as a serious security issue that requires
concerted effort from the international community, in
particular since the attacks of 9/11. The Republic of
Korea stands firmly against, and condemns all forms
and manifestations of, terrorism. Terrorism, a vicious
means to achieve political objectives by taking
innocent civilian lives, cannot be justified under any
circumstances. The international community must
reaffirm its determination to eradicate terrorism and
step up its collective counter-terrorism efforts.
The greatest threat of all, perhaps, emanates from
nuclear terrorism. International cooperation is now
needed more than ever to prevent it. Following the first
Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, D.C., last
year, the second such summit will be held in Seoul in
March 2012. The Republic of Korea is making every
effort to ensure that the Summit will constitute a
valuable opportunity for the international community
to build a more solid system of international
cooperation, which is necessary to prevent nuclear
terrorism.
This year, the international community has
witnessed a wave of dramatic changes sweeping across
North Africa and the Middle East. The democratic
movement that began in Tunisia, which then swiftly
spread to Egypt and Libya, has proved that democracy
is a universal value of humankind that transcends
region and culture. At this very moment, the people of
Syria and Yemen are taking great risks to hold aloft the
torch of freedom and democracy.
Democracy is a vehicle that unites the basic
values of humankind, such as freedom and equality,
human rights and the rule of law. The people’s demand
for democracy is their legitimate right. The
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international community and the United Nations must
do all they can to protect these people from persecution
and human rights abuses.
United Nations efforts have played a great role in
the recent democratic progress in Africa. The United
Nations facilitated the birth of the Republic of South
Sudan through peaceful referendum, and played a
crucial role in the progress of democracy in Côte
d’Ivoire by realizing the transfer of power.
Nevertheless, as history has only too clearly
shown, building democracy is no easy task. It is
important that fledgling economies in many parts of
the world become sustainable and robust. Above all, it
is essential that these nations form stable Governments
through elections and achieve economic development.
The United Nations must be there for them.
Democracy constitutes a foundation for
sustainable national development. For the Republic of
Korea, economic growth and democratization have
been achieved in a mutually reinforcing manner.
In the twenty-first century, in this age of
globalization and communication revolution, the tide
of democratization is unstoppable regardless of a
nation’s economic standing.
I believe that a vibrant economy will push
forward economic growth in all corners of the world.
To assist developing nations pursue both democracy
and economic growth is indeed the role of the United
Nations.
The market economy and democracy have
enabled humankind to fulfil the desire for a better life,
along with the values of freedom and individual
happiness. However, the growing gap between rich and
poor, which unfortunately accompanies today’s highly
developed market economy, calls for self-reflection
vis-à-vis the capitalist system and greater public
responsibility.
The growing gap between developed and
developing countries should not only be addressed as a
poverty issue, but should also be understood as a
potential destabilizing element to international peace.
Furthermore, this inequality stands against the global
vision of achieving common prosperity for all
humankind.
It is only when members of the international
community share each other’s burden and work
together in a mutually complementary manner towards
a common goal that the eco-systemic development of
the world can be achieved. Developed nations must
help developing countries to maximize their capacity
so that they can achieve economic growth and
development on their own. To that end, it is important
to foster a global atmosphere that is conducive to
supporting the development of trade, investment,
finance and human resources in developing countries.
International aid must focus on, and provide
support to, areas that form the basis of economic
development in developing countries, such as
infrastructure and trade-related capacity building. At
the same time, efforts must be made to strengthen the
role of multilateral organizations, including the
International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, in
development assistance. Such efforts should be
grounded in the sincere belief that the growth of
developing countries will provide a valuable growth
engine for all, including developed countries, by
expanding global demand as a whole.
Through the global financial crisis in 2008, we
have come to realize once again that we live in a highly
interconnected world. A financial crisis that started in
one place became global in an instant. No country was
spared from the bitter sting of economic crisis. In the
face of the crisis, the Group of Twenty (G-20), a
mechanism that brings together both developed and
developing nations, was created.
The Seoul Development Consensus for Shared
Growth, which was adopted last year at the G-20 Seoul
Summit, and the G-20 multi-year action plan outline
specific measures to realize growth that embraces
developing countries as partners. As a member of the
G-20, the Republic of Korea will faithfully and
actively implement those measures.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs),
championed by the United Nations, constitute another
important agenda that pursues shared growth between
developed and developing nations. The Government of
the Republic of Korea will be an active participant in
international development cooperation as pursued by
the MDGs. We will faithfully implement our plan to
double our current level of official development
assistance by 2015 and, drawing wisdom from our past
experience, will assist developing countries in ways to
build capacity to achieve genuine growth on their own.
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I hope that the fourth High-Level Forum on Aid
Effectiveness to be held in Busan in November this
year will provide a valuable opportunity to set a new
global cooperation paradigm and partnership to
effectively address new changes and challenges in
international development cooperation.
The cost of reckless economic growth that
ignores environmental warnings will be beyond
imagination. The rise in the Earth’s temperature due to
greenhouse gas emissions has caused abnormal
climatic phenomena. Ecosystem damage due to the
greenhouse effect is causing enormous economic
damage in various parts of the world.
To protect our environment and promote growth
at the same time, we must use less fossil fuel and more
renewable energy, while promoting the safer use of
nuclear energy. Green technology devoted to meeting
these goals will create more jobs for people and will
enable us to attain sustainable economic growth in
decades to come.
Having designated “green growth” as a national
growth paradigm in 2008, the Republic of Korea has
been actively pursuing this goal. The Republic of
Korea was the first country in the world to introduce
the Framework Act on Low Carbon, Green Growth. We
are also investing 2 per cent of our national gross
development product in green sectors every year.
Another important development was the launch
of the Global Green Growth Institute, which was
founded by the Republic of Korea along with like-
minded countries. The aim of the Institute is to share
cutting-edge green technology and experience with
developing countries. In so doing, developing countries
will be able to join in the global green growth
movement and attain economic growth and
environmental protection together as one global
community.
The United Nations shall have a more important
role than ever to play in restoring the equilibrium in
the global ecosystem and promoting shared growth in
the international community. In this regard, I welcome
the inclusion of “Green economy in the context of
sustainable development and poverty eradication” as a
main theme of the 2012 United Nations Conference on
Sustainable Development. I look forward to the
Conference producing a solid vision and action plan
towards economically, socially and environmentally
sustainable development.
The North Korean nuclear threat poses significant
challenges to peace on the Korean peninsula, North-
East Asia and beyond. Over the past 20 years, the
Republic of Korea has made consistent diplomatic
efforts, in cooperation with the international
community, to achieve the denuclearization of the
Korean peninsula and will continue to do so.
In the twenty-first century, we must first work
together if we wish to attain peace and prosperity. This
is a historical trend in which the Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea must take part. It is my hope to see
the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea enjoy
peace and prosperity by becoming a responsible
member of the international community. When the
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea chooses the
path to mutual benefit and common prosperity, we will
be ready to assist in that endeavour along with the
international community. I sincerely hope that this will
transform the Korean peninsula from a place of conflict
and strife into a bedrock of peace in North-East Asia
and the world.
Today, humankind faces a range of unprecedented
transnational challenges that require closer
international cooperation than ever before. At this
historic moment, the United Nations will have a greater
responsibility and role to play.
Over the 60 years since the establishment of the
United Nations, the dynamics of international relations
have been fundamentally and structurally transformed.
To meet the new demands of the times and address the
diverse challenges of the future, the United Nations
should constantly strive to renew and reinvent itself. In
particular, the Security Council should be reformed to
become more democratic and accountable in order to
fulfil its mandate of maintaining international peace
and security. The Republic of Korea has been actively
participating in discussions on Security Council
reform. We will continue to contribute constructively
to those discussions in the future.
With the spirit of the Charter of the United
Nations always in our hearts, the Republic of Korea
will continue to actively cooperate with the
Organization to create a greater United Nations in
times of change.