1. On the sidelines of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se attended a high-level meeting on “Strengthening cooperation on migration and refugee movements under the new development agenda,” chaired by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on September 30. In the meeting, Minister Yun stressed the need for global solidarity in resolving the migration and refugee issue.

2. Minister Yun said that the photo of three-year-old refugee boy Alan Kurdi, washed up dead on the shore, was a wake-up call to the conscience of humanity, and that the migration and refugee issues are not just a European problem but a global challenge which requires an urgent solution through a united response from the global community, emphasizing that the international community should take a comprehensive and holistic approach.

o In the case of migrants hoping for a better life, the international community needs to recognize that well managed migration can be a win-win formula for both sending countries and receiving countries and contribute to sustainable development. In the case of refugees desperate for a safer life, it is crucial the burden is shared among transit countries and destination countries.

o For a fundamental solution to the Syrian refugee crisis, it is important to swiftly end the civil war in Syria through peaceful means and get rid of violent extremism, such as ISIL.

3. Minister Yun also explained that the ROK has enacted a Refugee Act for the first time in Asia, granting Syrians permission to stay in the ROK on humanitarian grounds; and the ROK is providing humanitarian assistance to refugees as part of humanitarian diplomacy, which is an important policy priority of the Park Geun-hye government. By introducing the ROK’s such efforts, Minister Yun reaffirmed the ROK government’s willingness to actively join the global efforts to resolve the refugee issue.

4. In this high-level meeting, representatives from UN member states and international organizations stressed the need for removing the root causes of the refugee issue, including in Syria, as well as the joint responsibility of the international society. As demonstrated in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted a few days ago, the representatives shared the view that migration can contribute to development, and reaffirmed that policies related to refugees and migrants need to be based on the principle of respect for human rights.

5. This meeting was chaired by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon himself, who is garnering political will to resolve the refugee issue, which has emerged as a serious threat to security amid the recent Syrian refugee crisis. The meeting is seen as having significantly raised international awareness of the migration and refugee issues by bringing together high-level officials from many countries, including the ROK.


*unofficial translation