Page 253 - 2020 Defence White Paper

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President Moons keynote speech at the 74th UN General Assembly in September
2019, the President declared that the ROK will be hosting the 2021 Peacekeeping
Ministerial Conference, which will be the f rst time that this conference will be held
in Asia. The UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Conference is the largest, highest-level
regular conference in the field of peace and security to discuss current issues in
international peacekeeping operations and promote the expansion of contributions
from each country. Defense and foreign affairs ministers from more than 150
countries attend the conference. About 110 countries participated in the 1st and
68)
2nd conferences held in the UK and Canada in 2016 and 2017, respectively, and the
3rd conference hosted by the United Nations in 2019. Three areas of peacekeeping
operations were selected as core agendas upon consultation with 10 co-chairs ,
70)
69)
which will be discussed at the 4th conference. Members from the private sector such
as representatives of relative international organizations, academia, and press are
also expected to participate.
By hosting the Peacekeeping Ministerial Conference, the ROK government intends
to raise its stature in the international community by deriving new international
norms and pledges for peacekeeping operations in fields where the ROK gains Chapter 6
advantages such as new technologies and peace building. As year 2021 marks the

ROK’s 30th anniversary of joining the UN, the ROK government, through a top-
level official’s speech, will deliver a message of peace on the Korean peninsula and
garner support from the international community concerning the policies on the 68)
Korean peninsula. Member states of the
Special Committee on
At the last conference, the MND made pledges such as the ROK hosting a UN Peacekeeping Operations
(C34) under the UN General
peacekeeping training course, providing equipment including Mine-Resistant Assembly.
Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle, and increasing the proportion of female 69)
˝ Strengthening the
peacekeepers. The MND, at the next conference, plans to propose various mission execution
capabilities
contribution pledges utilizing the ROK’s strengths as a technological powerhouse. ˞ Sustainment of peace
˟ Safety and protection
For systematic preparations for the 4th of civilians
conference, the MND and the MOFA 70)
The ROK, the United
launched a Preparatory Committee for States, the United
the 2021 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Kingdom, Canada,
Ethiopia, Rwanda,
Conference, cochaired by the Ministers Bangladesh, Indonesia,
Netherlands, Pakistan, and
of National Defense and Foreign Aff- Uruguay
airs, and a Preparatory Secretariat for 71)
The group consists of
working-level support. During two general planning, internal
cooperation (establishing
Preparatory committee meetings in pledges), conference
Launching of the Preparatory Secretariat for the management, and
May and November 2020, 10 relevant Peacekeeping Ministerial Conference (July 2020) promotion.

Chapter 6. Developing a Robust ROK–US Alliance that is Mutually Complementary and Promoting Defense Exchanges and Cooperation