외교부

Statement by H.E. Ambassador Hahn Choonghee,

Deputy Permanent Representative, Republic of Korea

For the General Debate of the Second Committee of the

Seventy-second Session of the UN General Assembly

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Let me begin by joining the other delegations in congratulating you on your assumption of the chairmanship of the Second Committee. We look forward to your good and able leadership.

We also take this opportunity to express our sincerest condolences to the victims and their families of the tragic incident in Las Vegas which claimed the lives of a number of innocent civilians.

Mr. Chair,

To transform the landmark commitments of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Climate Agreement into concrete action, the Republic of Korea would like to share some thoughts on our priority areas:

First of all, continued discussions on the UN development system reforms are vital for the Organization to remain relevant to the challenges of today, and to effectively and efficiently support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Such reform efforts should break silos and strengthen the nexus between the three pillars of the UN Charter: peace and security, development, and human rights.

Reforms should also focus on improving the funding architecture so that it incentivizes collaboration amongst agencies, as well as with diverse stakeholders including the private sector, international financial institutions, and vertical funds while preventing zero-sum competition between agencies. The UN development system must also improve overall effectiveness and efficiency and enhance efforts for value-for-money. Increased accountability and transparency is also essential for the future of the UN development system.

Second, the Republic of Korea reiterates our belief that an effective follow-up and review process for the 2030 Agenda will continue to be crucial. We welcome the successful conclusion of this year's High-level Political Forum (HLPF), which saw 43 countries present their Voluntary National Review (VNRs), a number of side events take place, and the participation of over 2,500 stakeholders.

As this primary follow-up and review mechanism matures, we look forward to the further strengthening and refinement of its processes. Specifically, we stress the importance of quality disaggregated data and national statistical capacity to ensure that all countries have the requisite ability for inclusive implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

Equally important is the means of implementation of the 2030 Agenda. In this regard, my delegation welcomes this year’s intergovernmentally agreed outcome of the ECOSOC Financing for Development (FfD) Forum. This year's consensus was a hard earned achievement in re-affirming that the FfD Forum provides impetus for the delivery of the means of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

Third, the Republic of Korea ratified the Paris Agreement in November 2016, and we will steadfastly stand by our pledges. We must not lose momentum in implementing it, as we still face the challenging task of establishing the rulebook for the Paris Agreement, as mandated by the 22nd COP in 2016. We will actively participate in the follow-up negotiations in this regard.

As stated by President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea during the recent climate leaders’ dialogue on the occasion of the UNGA high-level segment, Korea is scaling-up its efforts to meet the 2030 Greenhouse Gases (GHG) reduction target with a view towards transforming ourselves into a sustainable low-carbon economy. Korea will also endeavor to support developing countries in responding and adapting to climate change, also through the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), both are located in Korea.

On a related note, we must also strengthen our efforts for disaster risk reduction. As we have recently witnessed, loss and damage from disaster continues to grow in both size and frequency. The global and regional platforms for disaster risk reduction are the fundamental building blocks in protecting our livelihoods and safety. The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction highlights that this is a vital and urgent issue for our common prosperity and development.

Fourth, we need to pay more attention to sustainable urbanization, especially given the ambitious agreement of the New Urban Agenda. In this regard, we are looking forward to actively and constructively engaging with the ongoing efforts to enhance the effectiveness of UN-Habitat, as the organization will play a key role in guiding the implementation of the New Urban Agenda. Korea will continue to advocate for the full consistency of these efforts alongside the wider UNDS reform, increased internal efficiency, and more coherent approaches to delivering as one UN.

Lastly, the Republic of Korea strives to mainstream the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into our Official Development Assistance (ODA) policies and share our development experiences in such priority areas as education, health, gender equality, inclusive and sustainable growth, and the rule of law and governance.

Mr. Chair,

Under your stewardship, we are confident that Member States can find durable solutions. The Republic of Korea remains committed to constructively contributing to our fruitful deliberations during this session and beyond.

Thank you. END.