1. Ambassador Cho Tae-yul of the Republic of Korea to the UN will complete on January 31 his service as chair of the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC).

° Ambassador Cho, having taken office as PBC chair on January 25, 2017, will work as PBC vice-chair in 2018 after the completion of his service as its chair pursuant to the PBC practice, in which the chair serves a year as a vice-chair upon the expiration of the term as chair.

2. Ambassador Cho’s service as the PBC leader over the past year took place amid the growing expectations of the PBC member states regarding the organization’s role within the UN, as UN Secretary-General Guterres sought conflict prevention and peacebuilding as the UN’s priority tasks. The Ambassador is seen to have helped build, in this transitional situation, a new momentum for the expansion of activities of PBC, which had not gained significant recognition since its launch in 2005.

3. In particular, in its report dated November 22, 2017, the New York-based Security Council Report (SCR), a think tank recognized for its research on the Security Council, shed light on the bid of Ambassador Cho and other recent PBC chairs to strengthen the PBC. The SCR went on to note with appreciation that as a result of this work, the PBC, which had been underestimated in terms of its ability to fulfill its functions, took on a tangible role, drawing from UN Security Council member states keen interest in possible cooperation with the PBC.

° Among the main achievements of the PBC in 2017 were the expansion of its discussion partners to include Gambia, Sahel and other countries and regions; cooperation bolstered with mini-regional and regional organizations, such as the African Union, as well as major stakeholders, including the World Bank Group and other international financial institutions; and improvements in its working methods.

4. By successfully serving as PBC chair over the past year, Ambassador Cho contributed to the enhancement of the ROK’s standing and role in the UN peacebuilding and security efforts, which, in the mid- to long-term, is expected to help the country be selected as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the 2024-2025 term.

5. The ROK has been working as a leader in the area of conflict prevention and peacebuilding, including by taking part in PBC activities and hosting an “Asian Conference on Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention” on November 6 and 7, 2017. Going forward, it plans to continually increase its contribution and work in this field.

* The ROK is serving on the PBC for the fourth time (2009-2010, 2011-2012, 2015-2016, and 2017-2018).

° The ROK, set to complete its service as the PBC leader after having chaired the UN Economic and Social Council in 2015 and the UN Human Rights Council in 2016, has established itself as a country that has exercised leadership in all of the UN’s three main areas -- peacebuilding and security, development and human rights.

* unofficial translation