Korea Advances to UNICEF Executive Board for 6 Consecutive Terms

UNICEF. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

South Korea has been elected to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Executive Board for the sixth consecutive time.

On the 22nd, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced, "South Korea's election to the UNICEF Executive Board for the 2021-23 term was confirmed by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), marking the sixth consecutive time since 2006 that South Korea has served as an Executive Board member."

UNICEF is a UN agency established to assist children worldwide without discrimination, carrying out support projects in developing countries to promote children's health and welfare.

The UNICEF Executive Board is the key decision-making body for UNICEF’s major programs and administration. It is composed of 36 countries elected by ECOSOC, and in this election, a total of 14 member states were elected.

The 14 member states are South Korea, the United States, the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Italy, Slovakia, Australia, New Zealand, Kazakhstan, Argentina, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, and Liberia.

During the recent international response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the South Korean government has provided humanitarian aid related to COVID-19, including delivering quarantine supplies through UNICEF to vulnerable groups including children.

Since 2004, the South Korean government and UNICEF have held annual bilateral policy consultations to discuss cooperation measures for improving the welfare of children worldwide. Various cooperative projects are underway, including ▲ prevention and eradication of waterborne diseases and cholera in sub-Saharan Africa, ▲ support for Rohingya refugee women and girls, and ▲ protection of children in armed conflict zones.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "Based on our experience on the Executive Board, the government will actively participate in discussions within UNICEF to protect and promote the welfare of children worldwide during the 2021-23 term as an Executive Board member, and will further develop the cooperative relationship between South Korea and UNICEF."