UN prepares to return staff to North Korea and resume support programs for North Korea

The United Nations (UN) announced that it is preparing to dispatch staff to North Korea and resume North Korea programs there.

In response to a written inquiry from the Voice of America (VOA) on the 14th, the United Nations Development Coordination Office (DCO) said, "We are continuing preparations for the return of international staff in North Korea and the resumption of North Korea programs."

DCO introduced that the internal consultation of the UN Country Team on North Korea (UNCT) was held in Bangkok, Thailand on the 1st, and that this meeting was part of the process of preparing for the return, including discussing priority areas of cooperation between North Korea and the UN.

Eleanor Francisco, Senior Regional Coordinator for the Asia-Pacific Regional Office of the United Nations Office for Development Coordination, attended this meeting and explained what role the United Nations country team could play in North Korea in the future.

The meeting was led by Helena Sterbe, Director of the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in North Korea.

The DCO added, “The overall priority of the UN country team is to return UN international staff to Pyongyang and restart UN programs in North Korea,” adding, “The priorities of future activities in North Korea will be determined by the authority of each UN agency, international norms, standards, and relevant UN resolutions.”

In July, UN Resident Coordinator Joe Colombano visited Pyongyang and met with North Korean officials to discuss the possibility of resuming UN activities in North Korea.

As North Korea blocked its borders due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19), UN staff withdrew in early 2021 and have not yet returned.