The UNFPA held the 1st Republic of Korea-UNFPA Policy Council in New York on February 15. Deputy Secretary-General Diene Keita represented the UNFPA, while Director of Development Cooperation Won Do-yeon represented the RoK’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).

DSG Keita stated she was proud of UNFPA-RoK collaboration since 1974, and that her organization would actively contribute to the achievement of the international community's Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) through cooperation with the RoK.

Director Won explained that the Korean government has set a vision of contributing to solving global problems as a pivotal state. The RoK is accordingly looking to expand the scale and effectiveness of strategic ODA. In particular, as a member of the Security Council in 2024-25, it plans to strengthen humanitarian support, including support for countries vulnerable to conflict. Won thus stated his wish for close cooperation with UNFPA on these matters. 

During the meeting, both sides shared methods to deepen mutual understanding, assess the results of RoK-UNFPA cooperation, and discuss future directions for cooperation, including prevention of sexual violence and support for conflict survivors through the HDP Nexus. 

UNFPA and the RoK also exchanged opinions on other relevant cooperation initiatives, such as the 30th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD 30) and demographic resilience projects. They further agreed to work together to develop new pathways for Koreans into the UNFPA, strengthen cooperation with the private sector, and secure financial resources for innovative development.