1. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha announced the launch of the “Action with Women and Peace” initiative at the Foreign Ministry’s center for diplomacy with the people on June 19, and appointed 21 experts as members of the advisory committee on the initiative who will offer advice during the entire process of implementing the initiative.

※ The advisory committee consists of experts in human rights, gender equality, sexual violence in conflict, development cooperation, and multilateral diplomacy, as well as representatives from civic groups.

2. The “Action with Women and Peace” initiative was launched to increase the ROK government’s contributions in the area of “women, peace, and security,” which has become a key agenda in the international community since UN Security Council Resolution 1325* was adopted.

* UN Security Council Resolution 1325 was adopted in 2000 after systematic rapes were committed on a massive scale in Bosnia and Rwanda in the 1990s. The resolution calls for measures to protect women from sexual violence in armed conflict, and more participation of women in peacekeeping activities.

o Recognizing that women are the biggest victims in conflicts, but at the same time, they are actors who can prevent conflicts and build peace amid growing and deepening regional conflicts posing a major threat to international peace and security, the UN is holding discussions on the protection and empowerment of women in conflict and carrying out related activities in a systematic manner.

o The ROK government has increased its activities within the UN in the areas of the promotion of the human rights of women, conflict prevention, and peacebuilding. The ROK especially has the potential to make active contributions to the international discussions on “women, peace, and security” due to its historical experience of handling the issue of sexual violence in conflict.

3. The main objectives of the “Action with Women and Peace” initiative is, first of all, to carry out development cooperation projects for victims to contribute to the elimination of sexual violence in conflict, which is a major task in the area of women, peace, and security, and to work to hold an international meeting on a regular basis to advance the international discussions on women, peace, and security.

o In implementing the initiative, the Foreign Ministry will establish close cooperative relations with relevant civil society and academia, and devise measures to help experts in civil society grow into international experts, and make contributions.

4. The advisory committee launched together is expected to significantly contribute to establishing the “Action with Women and Peace” initiative as a key platform for the ROK government’s multilateral diplomacy by offering many different perspectives and professional advice.

5. Building upon the initiative, the Foreign Ministry will continue to seek ways to realize the core values of the ROK’s diplomacy, including the promotion of human rights, gender equality, and conflict resolution.

* unofficial translation