KSM hosts 'International Conference on Peace & Development on the Korean Peninsula'
작성자/Author
관리자
작성일/Date
2021-08-17 14:03
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604
On June 22nd, 23rd, and 24th the Korean Sharing Movement, the Civil Peace Forum, the Korean Women’s Movement for Peace, and the American Friends Service Committee, sponsored by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the Ministry of Unification, and the Korea NGO Council for Cooperation with North Korea, hosted the 2021 International Conference on Peace & Development on the Korean Peninsula simultaneously online and in Seoul. The conference was held under the byline of Restoring Linkages,Expanding Cooperation. This byline reflected the co-hosts’ desire for the conference to achieve two things. Firstly, to look at how to reconnect with the DPRK as the COVID-19 pandemic situation develops and or alleviates and as North Korean borders reopen. Secondly, to extend international dialogue and cooperation between humanitarian, development and peacebuilding actors engaged with the Korean Peninsula based in South Korea, across Asia and around the world to explore common issues, develop mutual understanding and find areas for greater cooperation. Indeed, whilst presenters and discussants in Korea joined the proceedings live on-site (adhering to South Korea’s social distancing regulations), international participants could take part online. Presenters joined from all over the world, including places such as Alaska, Hawaii, Dublin, Geneva, Cairo and Cambodia, braving time differences to participate in the discussions. All in all, over fifty multilateral, bilateral, governmental and non-governmental organizations participated in this thirteenth edition of the annual conference.
Day one of the conference, encompassing three sessions, was streamed live online. Around 200 academics, journalists, people working in related fields, and interested members of the public watched these sessions live, while the videos are now available online and have around 1,200 hits on YouTube. (See links here in English and Korean.) Proceedings opened with congratulatory remarks from Minister of Unification Lee In-young and a keynote speech from U.S. Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland. The conference’s first session analyzed the likely current humanitarian situation in the DPRK and the prospects of how and when international access to the DPRK would be restored. It was acknowledged that border closures have helped avoid a COVID-19 emergency in North Korea. Nevertheless, the adverse impacts of those border closures were detailed by an expert on cross-border trade, public health, and DPRK humanitarian cooperation projects. The second session covered the so called HDP-nexus (humanitarianism, development & peacebuilding). It looked at the DPRK’s attitude to these three fields as well as hearing examples from an NGO whose goal is to work through relief and development toward peace and reconciliation. The third and final public session of the day had representatives from three different peacebuilding civil society organizations discussing their engagement with North Korea as well as Korea Peninsula peace related advocacy on both sides of the Pacific. Whilst issues related to peacebuilding on the Korean Peninsula have long been an important part of the KSM conference, hosting this session with three explicitly peacebuilding focused organizations, represented a tangible extension of the conference’s dialogue space bringing together humanitarianism, development and peacebuilding.
Days two and three of the conference comprised three behind closed doors sessions strategizing on vaccine support, responses to President Biden’s DPRK policy, and establishing joint goals for international civil society cooperation in the latter half of 2021 respectively. These discussions were very productive in updating each other on the current status of evolving situations and thinking of ideas to progress collaboratively moving forward. In general the participants gathered expressed their concern that inter-Korean dialogue and U.S.-DPRK dialogue seems to be at an impasse and evaluated the conference as being particularly helpful in bringing together diverse organizations to look for mutual strategic approaches for civil society to expedite peaceful change on the Korean Peninsula. KSM will continue its efforts towards international cooperation throughout the remainder of 2021.
Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland's keynote speech
KSM Secretary General Hong Sang-young presenting during session 2 about the DPRK's perspective on development cooperation
Group photo of on-site participants for the first day of the conference
Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland's keynote speech
KSM Secretary General Hong Sang-young presenting during session 2 about the DPRK's perspective on development cooperation
Group photo of on-site participants for the first day of the conference 
