UN appoints new Resident Coordinator for North Korea

유엔, 北 평양주재 조정관 신규 임명 팬데믹 후 처음 The United Nations has announced its pick for the new Resident Coordinator for North Korea, raising expectations that officials from international organizations will once again be able to cross its borders. Our Lee Soo-jin has the details. The UN has appointed a new official to lead its operations in North Korea, raising hopes that UN workers will soon be able to enter North Korea for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. The United Nations headquarters on Monday local time announced that Secretary General Antonio Guterres on March 1st appointed Joe Colombano as the new Resident Coordinator for North Korea. This comes amid expectations that UN officials could enter the North for the first time since 2021. Field officials from all international organizations left the North in 2021 after North Korea shut its borders in January 2020. The latest appointment also signals the possibility of members of other international organizations such as the World Health Organization, U.N. Development Program, and the World Food Programme possibly soon crossing North Korea’s borders. Colombano, who has over 25 years of experience in international relations, most recently served as the Head of the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator to China in Beijing. He was also the Director for Sustainable Development at the Executive Office of the Secretary-General in New York. He has a background in development finance, having worked at both the World Bank and at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. As the Resident Coordinator, he will lead the DPRK team in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which seeks to end poverty and promote peace. His appointment comes after the term of his predecessor Prodi Moring ended in December last year. The UN spokesperson said in a briefing on Monday that Colombano will be working from the UN office in Bangkok as Moring did after the North sealed its borders due to the pandemic. Although the exact date for when Colombano can enter the North is yet unclear, the UN spokesperson said that “discussions are underway to allow UN staff to return as soon as conditions allow“. Lee Soo-jin, Arirang News. #Joe_Colombano #United_Nations_Resident_Coordinator #NorthKorea #UN_workers #Pyongyang #UN #유엔 #북한_평양주재_조정관 #Arirang_News #아리랑뉴스 📣 Facebook : 📣 Twitter : 📣 Homepage : 2024-03-05, 09:00 (KST)