1. The Republic of Korea will be elected as Vice Chair of the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) for 2016 at a meeting of the PBC Organizational Committee, to be held at UN headquarters on February 3.

o The PBC elects one Chair and two Vice Chairs for 2016. Kenya in the African group will serve as Chair, and the ROK in the Asia-Pacific group and Sweden in the Western group will become Vice Chairs under the principle of region-based rotational chairmanship.

o The ROK has been serving as a member of the PBC Organizational Committee for the term 2015-2016. This assumption of vice chairmanship is the second following the first in 2009.

2. The ROK’s assumption of vice chairmanship is the result of the ROK’s commitment to expanding its support for the UN’s conflict prevention and peacebuilding activities, as pledged by President Park Geun-hye at the 70th session of the UN General Assembly in September last year. This reflects the international community’s positive assessment of the ROK’s contributions and capabilities in the area of global peace and security, including its roles as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the term 2013-2014, as well as contributions to UN peace operations, such as Peacekeeping Operations (PKO).

3. As Vice Chair of the PBC, the ROK will actively contribute to strengthening cooperation between the PBC and major UN agencies involved in peacebuilding operations, including the Security Council, the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), for effective and sustainable peacebuilding operations.

o In particular, as robust discussions are underway at the UN to strengthen peace operations, the ROK will play a leadership role in the process of establishing a sustainable peacebuilding system in the international community.


* unofficial translation