The head of Delegation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea(DPRK) delivered a national statement on the 16 November 2019 at the 40th Session of the General Conference of UNESCO held in Paris, France.

He said that in realizing the common desire of the mankind to put an end to a century-old history of war, inequality, hunger and poverty and to write a new history of justice, peace, prosperity and development, UNESCO assumes an ever-more important role to play.

He said that under the wise leadership of Chairman Kim Jong Un of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea(DPRK), the DPRK Government, while enforcing the universal 12-year compulsory and free education system, has been carrying out the work of building the country into the one of education and a talent power by holding up the strategic banner “Let us make a leap forward by dint of science and guarantee the future by dint of education!”. And he also said that in accordance with the policy on building a sci-tech power, endeavors are widely made to integrate the science and technology with the production.

He said in the statement that the DPRK Government will speed up the building of socialist civilization and sci-tech power with our own efforts, technology and resources, holding higher the great spirit of self-reliance as the banner and he continued as follows.

Today, in the light of the world’s recognized basic principles of the international relations being openly ignored and sanctions, pressure and even attempts of regime changes being bluntly committed against countries selectively by high-handedness and arbitrariness of a specific country, it is imperative for UNESCO to play its due role in realizing genuine global justice.

The UNESCO should adhere to the principle of impartiality and reject politicization and discrimination in its activities of cooperation in line with its purposes and missions for humankind’s common development of civilization.

He continued that Korean nation itself is the master of the peace, prosperity and reunification on the Korean peninsula and the issues such as inscribing the Demilitarized Zone on the list of the World Heritage site are of a matter that North and South must first agree in the spirit of the North-South Declarations.

In conclusion, he reconfirmed the will of the Government of the DPRK to continue to develop international cooperation and solidarity based on its foreign policy ideas of independence, peace and friendship and actively join the Organization and other member states in their efforts for achieving Sustainable Development Goals.