1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted the "Asia-Pacific Regional Consultation on the 2025 Review of the UN Peacebuilding Architecture" in Seoul on May 28. The event aimed to assess progress in UN peacebuilding activities and to share the Asia-Pacific region’s peacebuilding experiences and opinions to enhance peacebuilding effectiveness.

2. The event convened representatives from 14 countries including Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Lao PDR, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Qatar, the Solomon Islands and Thailand, as well as experts from academia and officials from international organizations such as the United Nations Secretariat, the ASEAN Secretariat and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

3. Participants discussed experiences and lessons learned from peacebuilding efforts in the Asia-Pacific region, evaluated progress in UN peacebuilding activities, and emphasized the importance of partnership and inclusivity in reinforcing peacebuilding efforts. They hoped that the Asia-Pacific perspective would be reflected in the 2025 review of the UN peacebuilding architecture.

4. Lee Chul, Director-General of the International Organizations Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasized the importance of conflict prevention through addressing root causes of conflicts and the need to strengthen the humanitarian, development, and peace (HDP) nexus in the peacebuilding process. He also highlighted the necessity of enhanced cooperation with regional organizations, international financial institutions, civil society and the private sector to improve the effectiveness of UN peacebuilding activities amid unprecedented complex challenges.

5. Moreover, Director-General Lee shared Korea’s initiative to prioritize peacebuilding agenda during its term as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council in 2024-25. He reiterated Korea’s commitment to enhancing Security Council discussions on peacebuilding as well as to strengthening cooperation between the Security Council and the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC).

6. Elizabeth Spehar, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support and one of the speakers at the event, commended Korea’s continuous contribution to strengthening UN peacebuilding activities and advancing relevant discussions as a member of the Peacebuilding Commission. She expressed gratitude to every representative from the Asia-Pacific region who shared their countries’ experiences and perspectives on peacebuilding, assuring that voices of the region would be faithfully reflected in the 2025 review of the UN peacebuilding architecture.

7. The conference, the second Regional Consultation on the Review of the UN Peacebuilding Architecture hosted by the Republic of Korea, served as an opportunity to demonstrate the ROK’s commitment to contributing to ongoing peacebuilding discussions.