1. The Republic of Korea was elected to serve on the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Executive Board for the 2021-2023 term at the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on July 21. It marks the ROK’s 6th consecutive term on the Executive Board since 2006.

o The UNICEF Executive Board is UNICEF’s key decision-making body that handles the organization’s major projects and administration. It consists of 36 members elected at ECOSOC, and 14 members of the Board were elected this time.

2. Drawing upon its past experiences at the Executive Board, the ROK government, as a Board member for the 2021-2023 term, will continue participating actively in discussions within UNICEF on protecting children around the world and promoting their welfare, and further advance the cooperative relations between the ROK and UNICEF.

o The ROK government and UNICEF have been holding annual policy consultations since 2004 to discuss ways to cooperate in promoting the welfare of children across the world, and have been carrying out a range of cooperation projects, including those to prevent and eradicate water-borne diseases and cholera in sub-Saharan Africa; to support women and girls in Rakhine State; and to protect children in conflict zones.

o Also, in support of the international community’s efforts to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ROK government has been providing COVID-19-related humanitarian assistance to children and other vulnerable groups, including through UNICEF.