- The 7th ROK-UN OCHA Policy Consultation Takes Place - 

1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held the 7th Policy Consultation between the Republic of Korea and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Friday, February 16, 2024, in New York. The head delegates to the consultation from Korea and OCHA were Won Doyeon, Director-General for Development Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Joyce Msuya, Assistant Secretary-General, respectively.

* The ROK-UN OCHA Policy Consultation has been held regularly since 2015 based on the MOU on Cooperation signed between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea and OCHA in 2013.

2.  During the meeting, the two sides agreed on the importance of the coordinating role of OCHA amid the worsening humanitarian crises globally due to conflicts and climate change, and exchanged views on specific ways for cooperation to effectively respond to the humanitarian crises. They also discussed ways for strategic cooperation between Korea and OCHA in the field of humanitarian assistance as Korea is serving as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2024-25 term.

3. Director-General Won explained Korea’s growing commitment to humanitarian assistance in line with its aspiration to become a Global Pivotal State and in a way that befits its international standing, as well as its willingness to comprehensively review strategic partnerships with major humanitarian organizations including OCHA to better manage the implementation of humanitarian assistance, and to improve the effectiveness of humanitarian assistance.

4. Assistant Secretary-General Msuya commended Korea’s efforts to strengthen humanitarian assistance in the midst of unprecedented humanitarian crises and appreciated the development of Korea-OCHA partnership. The Assistant Secretary-General also introduced the priorities of the OCHA Strategic Plan for 2023-26; OCHA's reform measures to provide humanitarian assistance in a more efficient and needs-based manner; and the establishment of the Climate Action Account within the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to respond to growing disasters caused by climate change.

5. The two sides also exchanged views on global humanitarian situations including in Ukraine, Myanmar and Sudan, and discussed various ways to cooperate in the field of disaster response, ranging from field coordination related to the deployment of the Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT), to carrying out expert exchanges in the field of environmental disasters. They also agreed to work together to increase the number of Korean nationals working in OCHA and enhance the visibility of Korea’s contributions.

6. The policy consultation came at an appropriate time as the Korean government is expanding its contributions, in quantity and quality, to the international community to respond to the humanitarian polycrisis caused by conflicts and climate change, including the war in Ukraine which will soon mark its second anniversary. The meeting served as an opportunity to deepen Korea’s strategic cooperation with OCHA, which is responsible for coordinating humanitarian assistance of the international community.