Activities of Secretary-General in Republic of Korea, 18-22 May
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, accompanied by Madam Ban Soon-taek, arrived in Seoul on Monday, 18 May, where he told reporters at the airport that, during this visit, he would hold talks with President Park Geun-hye and other senior officials of the Republic of Korea on development, climate change and regional concerns. He also said he looked forward to addressing the Asia Leadership Conference, as well as the Seoul Digital Forum.
On Monday evening, the Secretary-General met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, with whom he discussed climate change and Security Council reform, among other topics. Mr. Ban underscored that 2015 would be a year for global action, as the new sustainable development goals were expected to be adopted in September at the General Assembly, and expressed hope that the Prime Minister Modi would represent India at the September summit in New York.
On Tuesday morning, the Secretary-General attended the opening of the sixth Asia Leadership Conference along with Prime Minister Modi; Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser of Qatar, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Special Envoy for Basic and Higher Education; and Hong Yong-pyo, the Republic of Korea’s Minister for Unification. The Forum was opened by Bang Sang-Hoon, President of the Chosun Ilbo, sponsors of the event.
The Secretary-General spoke about the general situation on the Korean peninsula, saying that “despite the South-North Joint Declaration adopted 15 years ago and the start of the six-party process 10 years ago, the situation has not improved.” (See Press Release SG/SM/16759.) “If the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s current activities continue, we could see more arms competition and rising tension throughout this region.” Underscoring that the “relationship between the two Koreas is critical for lasting peace — not only regional, but also global peace,” he added that maintaining peace and security in North-East Asia required a commitment from all the region’s countries. In that vein, he told participants that he “wholeheartedly” supported President Park’s North-East Asia Peace and Cooperation Initiative and he also welcomed the recent trilateral meeting of foreign ministers from China, Japan and the Republic of Korea.
Turning to sustainable development, the Secretary-General said he counted on President Park’s continued engagement until the adoption of a truly transformative agenda in September and beyond, adding that the Republic of Korea is seen internationally as a model on climate change and green growth. As one of the first contributors to the Green Climate Fund at the 2014 Climate Summit, it had spurred others to do the same.
Later that morning, the Secretary-General participated in the opening session of the UN Global Compact Korea Leaders’ Summit in Incheon. The Summit offered an opportunity to reflect on the latest corporate sustainability trends with an emphasis on the United Nations global agenda for sustainable development and climate change, two of the most important priorities. The Summit also celebrated the Korean Stock Exchange for joining the Sustainable Stock Exchange initiative.
In his remarks, the Secretary-General congratulated business leaders on their energetic participation in the local global compact business network and encouraged them to do much more, especially in confronting what he called the “great issues confronting our planet: poverty, climate change and conflict”. (See Press Release SG/SM/16760.)
“Companies that take this approach succeed,” he said. “They find that helping people boosts the bottom line.” He encouraged them by saying “Businesses will be pivotal to success on ending poverty and rising to the climate challenge.”
On the margins of the Global Compact meeting, he met briefly with former Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
After a private lunch, the Secretary-General attended the Opening Ceremony of the World Education Forum 2015. The Forum, organized by UNESCO jointly with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), UN Women and the World Bank Group, was hosted by the Government of the Republic of Korea. President Park Geun-hye was also in attendance. The Forum was an opportunity for the more than 1,700 participants to agree on a joint position for the education goal and targets in the post-2015 development agenda that would be adopted by United Nations Member States at a summit in September 2015.
Opening the Forum, the Secretary-General stressed the importance that education played both for him personally, but also for the amazing progress made by the Republic of Korea. “Everything I am, I owe to education,” he said. (See Press Release SG/SM/16761.)
“Money is distributed unevenly, but intelligence cuts across all classes,” he said. “When we help people cultivate their intelligence, they can foster development and peace.” Underlining the indefensibility of the fact that 57 million people are still denied the most basic right of an education, he said “we will not be able to call this world prosperous if it is too poor to educate its children”.
After the Forum, the Secretary-General spoke to the press and announced that he would, on the following Thursday, visit the Kaesong Industrial Complex in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. “The Kaesong project is a win-win model for both Koreas,” he said. “It symbolizes a good way to tap the advantage of South and North Korea in a complementary manner. I hope my visit will provide positive impetus to further develop it and expand to other areas.” The visit would be the first to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea by a Secretary-General in more than 20 years.
The Secretary-General reiterated his willingness to do whatever it took to contribute to improving the inter-Korean relations and promoting reconciliation and stability on the Korean peninsula. Asked about the purpose of the visit, the Secretary-General said it was to help the two Koreas address problems through dialogue and practical cooperation, which could expand the dialogue framework for political issues.
The Secretary-General later attended a town hall meeting with United Nations staff present in Seoul to mark the seventieth anniversary of the United Nations.
The Secretary-General’s day ended with an official dinner hosted in his honour by Yun Byung-se, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea.
On Wednesday, the Secretary-General and Madam Ban attended the Seoul Digital Forum, a global communications event sponsored by the Seoul Broadcasting Service (SBS).
In his statement, the Secretary-General announced the cancellation of his planned visit to the Kaesong Industrial Complex, which had been announced the previous day. “Early this morning, the authorities of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea informed us, through their diplomatic channels, that they were reversing their decision for me to visit the Kaesong Industrial Complex.”
The Secretary-General said no explanation was given for this last-minute change, which he called “very regrettable”. He said as Secretary-General, he would not spare any effort to encourage the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to work with the international community for peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and beyond.
In remarks to the Forum, the Secretary-General underscored the deep impact of access to broadband technology. “For every 10 per cent increase in broadband penetration in the developing world, GDP [gross domestic product] goes up by almost 2 per cent on average,” he said. (See Press Release SG/SM/16766.)
The Secretary-General restated his concerns about electronic surveillance in the name of national security, pointing out that it must have safeguards to protect the right to privacy, and called on technology leaders to create a new era for sustainable development. “We need social networks that work for social inclusion,” he said.
Later that same morning, the Secretary-General opened the United Nations Academic Impact Seoul Forum, the first such gathering, organized by the Association of Korean Universities in Support of UNAI. With regard to the current spread of violent extremism, the Secretary-General called on young people not to fight back with violence but “to pick up our pens and books and refuse to be intimidated”. (See Press Release SG/SM/16767.)
He said there is a very important role for educators to teach youth “what would be significant to become a global citizen, to become a leader in the future.” Educated young people are our greatest hope to defeat global threats, he told the audience, which included many students.
The Secretary-General the met with the Speaker of the National Assembly of Korea, Chung Ui-Hwa, and other senior members of the Assembly. The Secretary-General expressed his hope for the Republic of Korea’s continued contributions towards the post-2015 sustainable development agenda, climate change efforts, countering violent extremism and other global issues. He also expressed his deep regret regarding the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s unexpected decision earlier that day to reverse its decision inviting him to the Kaesong Industrial Complex.
Later in the afternoon, the Secretary-General was granted an honorary doctorate from Ewha Womans University. In his remarks following the official ceremony, the Secretary-General said that there is no better investment than women’s empowerment. “Studies prove that an educated girl is more likely to get a job and earn a higher wage,” he said. (See Press Release SG/SM/16768.)
He reminded the audience that women’s empowerment drives economic growth, social and political stability, a flourishing environment and sustainable peace. The world would never advance if we left half the population behind and it was only natural that women should be given their right opportunity in political, economic and social fields equally — if not more, he said.
Following the ceremony, the Secretary-General met with President Park at the Blue House, the official presidential residence.
That evening, the Secretary-General attended a ceremony marking the seventieth anniversary of the foundation of the United Nations at the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
On Thursday, the Secretary-General had a private programme and two interviews with journalists.
The Secretary-General departed Seoul early on Friday morning, 22 May, for Hanoi, Viet Nam.