Remarks by the President of the General Assembly,  

Mr. Dennis Francis,

at the Reception to Commemorate Korean National Foundation Day

[As Delivered]

23 October 2023

Your Excellency, Mr. Joonkook Hwang, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea,

Excellencies, Distinguished Guests,

At the outset, let me sincerely thank His Excellency Mr. Joonkook Hwang, Ambassador and the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea, for the kind invitation to join you this evening.

 

I am particularly honoured and indeed delighted to commemorate Korean National Foundation Day and the 70th Anniversary of the Korean War Armistice.

 

Having just returned from an extremely successful visit to Seoul, I am newly struck by your country’s extraordinary leadership in seeking peaceful, progressive solutions to the complex challenges facing our world today.

 

My visit to the Demilitarized Zone was especially a very important demonstration of the importance of sustaining and nurturing peace – by all and any means – and what the enjoyment of peace can bring in charting a sustainable path for achieving sustainable development, as South Korea has so amply demonstrated. 

 

I saw prospects of peace and progress in the independent thinking of the students I interacted with at Yonsei University – in their ambition and a greater sense of self-empowerment.

I saw it in the enriching deliberations of the Annual Meeting of the Council of Presidents of the United Nations General Assembly, hosted in Seoul by its Chair, Han Seung-soo, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea and former PGA.

 

I also saw it in the unwavering commitment of your leaders, President Yoon Suk Yeol, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Foreign Minister Park Jin – with whom I engaged in depth on the most pressing issues facing not only the Korean Peninsula, but our international community as a whole.

And I see it again, here in New York, in the creative expression of the venerated Seocho Philharmonia, Artistic Director Jong Hoon Bae, and the talented musicians performing under a theme of peace and remembrance tonight.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

In many ways, tonight’s performance is the perfect representation of the Republic of Korea’s connection to history, its remarkable economic dynamism – and its determined reach to the future.

 

It celebrates the power of art to transcend borders, build bridges across communities and foster dialogue and understanding among peoples of difference cultures.

 

In this time of today’s heightened geopolitical tensions and conflicts, dialogue is paramount in all that we do. It is the stuff of patience and restraint among other things.

 

Let me repeat that: In this time of today’s heightened geopolitical tensions and conflicts, dialogue is paramount in all that we do. It is the stuff of patience and restraint among other things.

 

Whether addressing conflict or climate, food, energy or sustainable development, the multilateral system will need the same unity and connection to create transformational change.

 

On the eve of UN Day – marking the entry into force of the UN Charter – I can think of no more important message for diplomacy today than one of unity and solidarity among all nations.

 

Our UN family must find new ways to return to the solidarity that brought us together almost eight decades ago – and helped us resolve some of the most intractable questions around peace and disarmament, development, human rights, and international law.

 

Indeed, for these nearly eighty years, Korea’s history has been intertwined with that of the UN. As I saw so clearly in Seoul, the UN is in Korea’s DNA.

 

And, as President of the General Assembly, I hope to bring forward a renewed spirit of cooperation; to revive trust and accelerate action towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all.

 

I encourage the Republic of Korea to continue lighting our path forward, through your deep commitment to international peace and active engagement in all our shared endeavours.

 

Gamsahabnida.