1. The 2019 Republic of Korea-UNESCO high-level policy dialogue took place at UNESCO headquarters in Paris on March 28. (ROK head delegate: Director-General for Public Diplomacy and Cultural Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Hong Seok-in, UNESCO head delegate: Director of the Bureau of Strategic Planning Jean-Yves Le Saux)

o Participants from the ROK side were officials from government ministries and agencies, and the Korean National Commission for UNESCO, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education, the Cultural Heritage Administration, and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). Participants from the UNESCO side were representatives from each sector, including Education, Culture, Natural Sciences, Social and Human Sciences, and Communication and Information.

2. The ROK, as a key donor to UNESCO* and Chair of its Executive Board**, held the high-level policy dialogue for the first time to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation between the ROK and UNESCO, and to pursue programs for the ROK’s voluntary contribution to UNESCO.

* In 2018, the amount of the ROK’s contribution to UNESCO’s regular budget ranked 10th and that of its voluntary contribution 2nd among the 193 member states of UNESCO.

** The ROK’s Ambassador to UNESCO is serving as Chairperson of the Executive Board of UNESCO for the 2017-2019 term.

3. In the meeting, the two sides discussed ways the ROK and UNESCO can work together in a future-oriented manner; the progress in the implementation of the ROK’s contribution projects, and future plans; and issues regarding specific projects. The two sides also signed the Record of Discussion of the high-level policy dialogue and the revised MOU between UNESCO and the MOFA of the ROK on the framework of voluntary contribution.

4. The two sides especially shared the view that it is important to enhance the visibility of the ROK’s voluntary contribution in order to diversify areas of cooperation between the ROK and UNESCO. They agreed to continue to publicize the ROK’s contribution on various occasions, including major UNESCO meetings. And the year 2020 will mark the 70^th anniversary of the ROK’s accession to UNESCO, and the two sides agreed that it would be an excellent opportunity to showcase cooperation between the ROK and UNESCO.

5. The meeting, held amid the growing importance of voluntary contribution programs within UNESCO, served as an opportunity to present the direction of the ROK’s voluntary contribution to UNESCO, and to express the ROK’s commitment to its contribution. It also provided an opportunity for the two sides to discuss ways to ensure effectiveness of the ROK’s contribution programs, thereby further solidifying their cooperative relations.

* unofficial translation