1. Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul will visit Geneva, Switzerland, from March 2 through 4 to deliver keynote speeches at the High-level Segment of the 28th session of the U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and a Geneva Conference on Disarmament.

a. In his keynote speech at the UNHRC meeting on March 3, Vice Minister Cho will speak about the position of the government of the Republic of Korea on the envisioned strengthening of the UN’s human rights mechanism on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of its establishment; North Korea’s human rights issue; and the promotion of women’s human rights on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action aimed at achieving gender equality. He will also convey the willingness of the ROK government to contribute to the promotion of human rights.

◦ With regard to North Korea’s human rights issue, he will urge North Korea to make strong efforts to improve its human rights situation as called upon by the international community in the relevant report by the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and UN resolutions; and to resolve such humanitarian issues as those involving the protection of North Korean refugees, reunions of families separated during the Korean War, and the repatriation of those abducted by North Korea.

◦ In terms of women’s human rights, he will bring attention to international efforts to promote gender equality as well as interests and rights of women, while stressing the need for the resolution of the issue of sexual slavery victims drafted by Japan’s Imperial Army during World War II as a universal human rights issue.

b. In his keynote speech at the Geneva Conference on Disarmament (CD) on March 4, Vice Minister Cho will call on state parties to make efforts to vitalize the CD mechanism; underscore the need to strengthen the international non-proliferation regime, including through the resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue; and urge North Korea to make such strategic determination as the abandonment of its nuclear programs.

c. During his visit to Geneva, the Vice Minister will meet with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein and President Peter Maurer of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). In the meetings, the two sides will discuss ways that the ROK government can more strongly support operations of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the ICRC.

3. Vice Minister Cho will then visit Cartagena, Colombia, and attend the “Cartagena Dialogue: The Trans-Pacific Summit” to be hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) on March 7 under the theme of “Pacific Alliance and Asia.” At the event, he will speak about the ROK’s perspective on the Pacific Alliance.

◦ The Vice Minister will discuss the future-oriented relationship between the Pacific Alliance and the ROK, which has set a model in Asia and Latin America with regard to the implementation of the open-door policy; and consult with other participants on ways for substantive cooperation between the ROK and the Pacific Alliance.

◦ The Cartagena Dialogue is expected to serve as an opportunity to convey to the international community the ROK’s willingness to work with the Pacific Alliance, a new model of regional integration in Latin America.

* The Pacific Alliance was launched in June 2012 to strengthen competitiveness of its member states through free movement of goods, services, capital and workers among them and to enhance economic cooperation among countries in the Pacific region. It has four member countries -- Peru, Mexico, Chile and Colombia.

- The ROK joined the Pacific Alliance in June 2013 as an observer. 


               Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA

* unofficial translation