1. Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul attended the 6th Global Engagement and Empowerment Forum (GEEF) co-hosted by the Institute for Global Engagement and Empowerment at Yonsei University, the Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better Future, and the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens on March 14 under the theme of “Reboot the SDGs, Reset Our Future.”

2. This forum was held to discuss ways for international cooperation to accelerate the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) amid the deepening global polycrisis. It brought together 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon, 11th Federal President of Austria Heinz Fischer, 32nd President of Columbia Juan Manuel Santos, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Korea Kang Kyung-wha, former President of the World Bank Jim Yong Kim, and others, in person or virtually.

3. Foreign Minister Cho highlighted that the UN-led multilateralism needs to be strengthened to accelerate the SDGs implementation and that this momentum should be kept up at the Summit of the Future this coming September. He also underscored the necessity of revitalizing international discussions on the SDGs implementation by countries in special situations such as Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs).

4. Foreign Minister Cho emphasized the need for an integrated approach based on universal values and principles to harmoniously achieve the three pillars of the UN -- development, peace and human rights -- and called for a reform of the international financial architecture and increased cooperation with the private sector for securing development finance to strengthen the means of the SDGs implementation.

5. As the Korean government plans to enhance its status as a “Global Pivotal State,” Foreign Minister Cho expressed Korea’s commitment to actively contribute to shaping international discourse and norms for global peace and prosperity as a member of the Security Council in 2024-2025. He said that Korea will work in solidarity with the international community to achieve practical results in dimensions such as strengthening the humanitarian-development-peace nexus, digital transformation of developing countries, and capacity building of future generations.

6. In the forum, Foreign Minister Cho shared with various stakeholders from home and abroad how Korea is contributing and will continue doing so to the acceleration of the SDGs implementation, demonstrating to the international community the country’s commitment to achieving the SDGs.