1. On the morning of July 3, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Lee Tae-ho met with Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Dereje Wordofa, who is on a visit to the Republic of Korea (ROK). In the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on ways to step up cooperation between the ROK and the UNFPA.

2. Vice Minister Lee took note of the year 2019 as the 50^th anniversary of the establishment of the UNFPA and as a special year in which the ROK is holding the presidency of the UNFPA Executive Board. He went on to voice hope that the ROK-UNFPA cooperation will strengthen further in various areas, including sexual and reproductive healthcare for women and youth, low birthrate, and aging population.

° Vice Minister Lee, mentioning that the ROK government is cooperating with the UNFPA in implementing the “Action with Women and Peace” Initiative after launching it in 2018, asked for the UNFPA’s continued interest in and support on this initiative.

3. Deputy Executive Director Wordofa noted that a liaison office of the UNFPA had been opened in the ROK during the visit to the country by Executive Director of the UNFPA Natalia Kanem in February, enabling closer cooperation between the two sides; extended appreciation for inviting him to the 1st International Conference on “Action with Women and Peace”; and expressed hope that the ROK-UNFPA cooperation will continue to expand in the area of combating sexual violence in conflict, one of the key goals of the UNFPA’s activities.

4. The meeting with Deputy Executive Director Wordofa, which took place during his visit to the ROK for the 1st International Conference on “Action with Women and Peace,” is seen to have served as an opportunity for the ROK and the UNFPA to reaffirm their commitment to continued cooperation.

* unofficial translation