Republic of Korea: ICRC and KOICA sign agreement to help people affected by armed conflict and violence
The MoU – the first institutional level agreement between the ICRC and KOICA – is expected to bridge the humanitarian and development approaches and lead to concrete actions. In past years KOICA has supported multiple ICRC projects in countries like Indonesia and South Sudan, and through the ongoing partnership activities in Azerbaijan, Nigeria, Venezuela and Yemen.
Chang Won Sam, president of KOICA, said, "KOICA is pleased to strengthen its partnership with the ICRC, which has a long history of and expertise in providing humanitarian assistance."
Taking this opportunity of the MoU's signing, we look forward to expanding our partnership in multiple dimensions to effectively respond to global crises.
"In particular, the forthcoming collaborative programme in the Middle East, connecting missing people with their families, holds significant importance as it resonates with the complex history of division in the Korean peninsula. We anticipate this endeavour will make a meaningful stride toward resolving long-standing conflicts and animosities within the community, fostering a conducive environment for peace."
Under the joint commitment the ICRC and KOICA will work together, sharing their expertise and knowledge in the field of humanitarian action and policies, to respond in an impactful and effective way with people and communities affected by conflict and other violence. Given the ICRC's access and operational capabilities and KOICA's experience and credibility, the partnership is a step towards addressing the increasing humanitarian needs globally. The agreement will also boost coherence between humanitarian and development activities and establish greater synergy between the two approaches.
ICRC president Mirjana Spoljaric, said, "The ICRC highly values the support it receives from the Republic of Korea. This important joint commitment enhances the ICRC's ability to provide effective humanitarian programming to alleviate people's suffering and contribute to creating a conducive environment for peacebuilding in conflict-affected and fragile communities."
The ICRC looks forward to working with KOICA to use our joint capabilities in finding lasting solutions to many humanitarian challenges we face today.
About the ICRC
The ICRC is a neutral, impartial, and independent organization with an exclusively humanitarian mandate that stems from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. We help people around the world affected by armed conflict and other violence, doing everything we can to protect their lives and dignity and to relieve their suffering, often with our Red Cross and Red Crescent partners.
ICRC in the Republic of Korea
The ICRC's humanitarian activities in the Republic of Korea go back to the early days of the Korean War (1950-53), but our Seoul mission opened in 2015. Since then, we have been working to raise public awareness of armed conflicts and other violence around the world, as well as to promote understanding of international humanitarian law among Korean policymakers, academia, civil society, and the military.
For more information, please contact:
Helena Hyung Eun Kim, Seoul, +82 10 3301 7705, hkim@icrc
Najum Iqbal (English), tel: +86 131 2036 3813, email: nulsaqibiqbal@icrc.org
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