1. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Lee Taeho participated virtually in the “high-level event in support of multilateralism” held in Madrid, the Kingdom of Spain, at 1 p.m., November 10 (local time).

o The event hosted by the Spanish government brought together Heads of State and Government and other high-level representatives of eleven countries, including the Republic of Korea, the Kingdom of Sweden, the Republic of Costa Rica, the Republic of South Africa, the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Canada, New Zealand, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Republic of Senegal, and the Republic of Tunisia, as well as the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

2. The event was held to reaffirm support for the “United Nations 75th Anniversary Declaration” adopted at the UN General Assembly this year to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the UN, and to contribute to implementing the Declaration with more concrete actions. The participating countries adopted a “joint statement on reinforcing multilateralism” at the event.

3. In his statement, Vice Minister Lee said that the ROK stands ready to work closely with countries to strengthen multilateralism, and introduced the ROK government’s efforts to respond more effectively to global challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic through multilateral cooperation.

o Vice Minister Lee explained that amid the COVID-19 crisis, the ROK government led the launch of the Groups of Friends at the UN, the World Health Organization (WHO), and UNESCO, and took the lead in promoting multilateral cooperation, including by striving to prevent the disruption of international trade and facilitate essential cross-border movement of people.

o In addition, he said that while pursuing the Korean New Deal to chart a new path for the post-COVID-19 era, the ROK government is also actively taking part in international efforts to build back better for future generations, including by announcing its aim to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and hosting the P4G Summit next year.

4. Vice Minister Lee’s participation in the event is seen to have served as an opportunity to express the firm commitment of the ROK as a responsible middle-power to contribute to reinforcing multilateralism, and to send a message of cross-regional solidarity together with countries representing different regions.