The 「2019 International Conference on Humanitarian Cooperation and Peaceful Development on the Korean Peninsula」 hosted by the Korean Sharing Movement (KSM), the National Committee on North Korea (NCNK), and Gyeonggi Provincial Government took place from November 1 to 2 at New York University, New York City, USA. KSM has organized international conferences regarding humanitarian assistance to the DPRK annually but this was the first time for KSM to host a conference outside of Asia. The 2019 international conference was composed of open sessions, plus invitation-only closed sessions. Numerous United Nations staff, stakeholders from international organizations and NGOs, South Korean local government employees and NGOs as well as scholars working related to the DPRK, humanitarian cooperation and the Korean peace process joined the conference.
In his opening remarks Wan-kyu Choi, one of KSM's co-standing presidents, took efforts to emphasize the revised title of the conference. From its inception in 2009 until last year’s conference, the title had referred to humanitarian and development ”assistance to North Korea”., However, in accordance with the transformation of perspectives regarding south-north relations and global trends regarding international development practices, KSM revised the title to 'International Conference on Humanitarian Cooperation and Peaceful Development on the Korean Peninsula”.' This served to emphasize that North Korea is a partner for cooperation rather than a recipient of assistance, and also that humanitarian cooperation is invariably linked to the development of peace on the Korean peninsula.
The open session consisted of two plenaries. The first plenary, titled ”Humanitarian Engagement with the DPRK since 1995; Context, Process & Change”, was moderated by renowned legal scholar Jerome A. Cohen, professor at New York University School of Law, who reflected on his seminars providing legal training in North Korea. The discussants, who all had vast experience of engaging in humanitarianism with the DPRK, discussed the changes and evolutions they had encountered during the past 25 years. They all had engaging and unique experiences and insights as humanitarian and development cooperation experts. In plenary two, “Peaceful Cooperation and the Peace Process on the Korean Peninsula”, the gathered audience had a chance to hear about the current humanitarian situation in the DPRK and an assessment of the US-DPRK relationship and how it might evolve in the near future. This was followed by an analysis of how humanitarian and cooperation exchange between South and North Korea have, and can in the future, produce developments in and help sustain the peacebuilding process on the Korea peninsula. There was also an added focus on the regional government level in Gyeonggi province which surrounds the south north border in the west of the Korean peninsula.
The second day of the conference was invitation-only with the aim of encouraging openness of discussion and facilitating the sharing of information. Members of the 1718 sanctions committee, the U.S. mission to the United Nations and the leadership of UN OCHA were joined by practitioners representing North American, European and South Korean NGOs in the discussions. Throughout the first closed session the participants discussed in depth various issues regarding the humanitarian impact of international sanctions on the DPRK and the sanctions exemptions process. The final session looked at the present situation on the Korean peninsula and the future outlook for humanitarian and developmental cooperation in the DPRK. This included a presentation from KSM Secretary General Hong Sang-Young on their Gaepyung tree nursery project which was halted some nine years ago but that KSM are eager to restart. Furthermore, participants came together at the end of the day to create a joint declaration based on the contents of the conference. This declaration appeals to related stakeholders about the necessity of engagement with the DPRK and continual humanitarian cooperation, it censures the negative impact of sanctions on the humanitarian situation, and call upon those empowered to do so to find mechanisms for humanitarian assistance to be able to efficiently navigate sanctions exemptions.
In addition to the conference, the delegation from South Korea visited Washington D.C. in order to engage in working-level group talks with U.S. house and congress officials, U.S. Department of State officials handling U.S.-DPRK relations, and U.S. based DPRK related NGOs. In New York, KSM delegates discussed the obstacles that appeared in humanitarian cooperation between both Koreas at the United Nations headquarters and also participated in discussion meetings with DPRK humanitarian project and DPRK sanction related experts.
The 2019 International Conference was an excellent opportunity for KSM and accompanying South Korean organizations to understand the viewpoint of various actors in the United States, the UN and the 1718 sanction committee, as well as to convey the opinions and realities faced by South Korean organizations in seeking a breakthrough to overcome current frustrations blocking humanitarian cooperation with the DPRK. The South Korean delegation was also able to gain clarity and establish understanding regarding sanctions and their exemption process while building international solidarity for their efforts to resume south north exchange and emphasize the importance of peacebuilding on the Korea peninsula.
