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KNCCK lead group translating and analyzing DPRK's SDG VNR

작성자/Author
관리자
작성일/Date
2021-08-18 11:47
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642
On July 1st the DPRK presented their Voluntary National Review (VNR) on the Implementation of the 2030Agenda for Sustainable Development. This was the first report submitted to the UN’s High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Government by the DPRK Government. In North Korea's own words the VNR “illustrates the policies and efforts, challenges and priority plans of the Government to achieve SDGs in succession of MDGs”. As such it represents not just a key strategic document for the DPRK itself, but also a very useful opportunity for those who seek to understand and cooperate with North Korea, particularly an organization such as the Korean Sharing Movement that has engaged in development cooperation projects in the DPRK in the past, and hopes to do so again in the future. The SDGs, initiated in 2015, consist of 17 goals, 169 targets and 241 indicators.  The aim of the SDGs is to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change by 2030.



In this VNR report North Korea presents its plan for national economic development utilizing various statistical data. It differs from previous North Korean written reports in that it frankly specifies various problems that North Korea is facing in its development. Whilst emphasizing “single-hearted unity and self-reliance”, to “advance along the road of Korean style socialism… through maximum use of its own resources, technologies and internal force”, the report goes on to emphasize external cooperation in that “the Government will also continue to work closely with the international community for implementation of 2030 Agenda”. The DPRK emphasizes that the National Task Force for Sustainable Development (NTF) and the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) cooperated extensively with UNICEF, the UNESCAP and the international community in creating the VNR.

As the DPRK’s VNR report was submitted and presented in English, despite North and South Korea sharing the same language, the report would be inaccessible to many South Koreans from universities, inter-Korean relations NGOs and institutes and development related groups. In a bid to increase access to the insights and data offered in the DPRK’s VNR to more South Koreans, the Korea NGO Council for Cooperation with North Korea (KNCCK: the council that brings together 56 South Korean NGOs working for inter-Korean reconciliation, mutual cooperation, and the establishment of a pan-national community) undertook the translation of the 60 page report into Korean. Led by KNCCK and sponsored by Korea Food for the Hungry, the report was divided up into sections and translated by staff from five organizations including the Korean Sharing Movement’s Planning and PR Team. KSM has a long history of translating key DPRK related English documents into Korean including the UN’s ‘DPRK Needs and Priorities’ documents and the ‘UN Strategic Framework for cooperation between the United Nations and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.’ These are well utilized by various organizations within South Korea.   This VNR report was not only translated into Korean but KNCCK organized an online forum for the five translators to present the sections of the report that they worked on to other NGOs and local government offices. Around 50 people participated in the two hour session which included a thirty minute Q & A session. KNCCK has also recently organized a series of weekly seminars on the DPRK’s SDG indicators focusing on various areas of cooperation projects such as forestry and agriculture. In the future KSM will continue to play an interlocker role disseminating information shared in international society with relevant parties in South Korea.