2022 Speech - Korea, Republic of
| Session Number | 77 |
|---|---|
| Year | 2022 |
| Country | Korea, Republic of |
| Country Code | KOR |
| Speech |
I offer my sincere congratulations to His Excellency Mr. Csaba Korosi on assuming the presidency of the General Assembly. I hope that under your leadership, Sir, the seventy-seventh session of the General Assembly will bring together the wisdom of each Member State so as to shape a better world. I also express my deepest respect to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for his tireless devotion as he embarks on his second term.
Under the Charter of the United Nations, we are called upon to endeavour to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom and to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security. When the freedom of any individual in a nation comes under threat, members of the community must join hands to remove the threat and defend freedom. Likewise, when the freedom of any citizen or nation in the global community is in peril, it is the community of nations that must stand together in solidarity to defend that freedom. Our modern history testifies to the process of our solidarity and unity in safeguarding freedom and pushing our civilization forward. Today, plagued by attempts to alter the status quo by force, nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction and systemic violations of human rights, the global community is yet again witnessing the freedom and peace of its citizens put in jeopardy. Such threats to freedom and peace must be overcome through solidarity and fearless commitment to the framework of universal global norms consolidated over the years within the United Nations system. The theme of the General Assembly session this year, “A watershed moment: transformative solutions to interlocking challenges”, encapsulates the gravity of the global crisis confronting us, which in turn underscores the solemn role of the United Nations. The first step in our journey to seek answers that will help us through these turbulent times begins with solidarity and deference to the universally accepted global norms, as well as the United Nations system established over past decades. As humankind strives to defend freedom and build lasting peace, the role of the United Nations is indispensable. Genuine freedom is not just being free from shackles but having opportunities to live life to the fullest with dignity. Genuine peace is not an absence of war but the elimination of the conflict and enmity that hold back the shared progress of humankind. Genuine peace also entails building the foundation for greater prosperity. Genuine freedom and peace can turn into reality when we are free from disease and hunger, free from illiteracy and free from want of energy and culture. In that regard, the United Nations has been making great efforts through the Economic and Social Council and UNESCO, among others. However, the Organization is now urged to take on a broader role and responsibility. To tackle the challenges brought on by the pandemic, the United Nations must play a central role in bringing the community of nations together to decisively step up their support for countries with limited fiscal space and technical expertise. In pursuit of the global agenda for decarbonization, countries with leading green technologies must work to unsparingly share new and renewable energy technologies with other countries. In the era of digital sophistication, one of the most urgent tasks for the global community and the United Nations is promoting global cooperation to narrow the digital divide, which exacerbates polarization among nations. Countries at the forefront of digital innovation must offer broader assistance for digital education, technology transfer and investment while the United Nations must redouble its efforts to mobilize support to that end. The Republic of Korea, notwithstanding the recent fiscal consolidation, has scaled up support for those who are in need with resources secured through expenditure restructuring. At home, we are offering more assistance to socially vulnerable groups. Abroad, we have increased our official development assistance budget. Just as broadening support for socially disadvantaged groups lays the groundwork for sustainable prosperity, support for nations of the world that are facing challenges will make global freedom and peace more sustainable. As a responsible member of the international community, Korea is committed to shouldering its due responsibility and playing its role for the freedom of global citizens and the prosperity of the global community. Korea has accelerated research and development for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) therapeutics and vaccines, pledging $300 million toward the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator initiative and $30 million to the Financial Intermediary Funds of the World Bank, among others, thereby expanding its contributions to building a more robust global health architecture. We are also taking part in negotiations to reach a pandemic accord under the World Health Organization. To ensure a more effective response to future infectious disease outbreaks, Korea will host a ministerial meeting of the Global Health Security Agenda in Seoul this November. In addition, Korea will significantly increase its contribution to the Global Fund, joining forces with our partners in our fight against infectious diseases, including AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Turning to the issue of climate change, Korea will scale up its green official development assistance, help developing countries transition to a low-carbon future and share its innovative green technologies with all humankind. Over the years, Korea has been transferring and sharing its e-Government digital technology with developing countries and many others. The Korean Government is pushing forward with its plan to transform itself into a digital-platform Government. This is an ambitious initiative to substantially upgrade our democracy, public service and welfare through digital technology. We will continue to more widely share our advanced digital technology and data and will spare no effort in providing support and investing in education. As we seek answers to the global crisis we are facing, the viability of the United Nations system and the universal global norms architecture is now being tested. The crisis confronting us will be resolved only when we stand firmly in solidarity to share the universal value of freedom and work together to uphold and spread our freedom. In that vein, we must more firmly support the system of the United Nations, anchored in a spirit of freedom and solidarity, as well as the normative frameworks that have been universally recognized by the international community. Any attempt to turn away from the United Nations system and universal norms will divide the global community into blocs, further compounding the crisis and turmoil. We must more rigorously identify the nature and roots of the problems that lie before us. The international community must vigorously endeavour to share responsibility and join forces whenever necessary to resolve the challenges we face. Once again, I call on the citizens and leaders of the world to demonstrate resolute and enduring support for the United Nations system and universal global norms as we seek answers in this watershed moment. Mr. Dang Hoang Giang (Viet Nam), Vice-President, took the Chair. The very first mission of the United Nations, after its founding, was to approve the Republic of Korea as the sole, legitimate Government on the Korean peninsula, and to defend the freedom of my country by sending over United Nations forces during the Korean war. Thanks to such efforts by the United Nations, Korea was able to become what it is today. As such, the Republic of Korea will protect and expand the freedom of global citizens and, together with the United Nations, we will fulfil our responsibilities to promote peace and prosperity around the world. |