The Sustainable Development Goals 

and North Korea

“Leave No One Behind”


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Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

In September 2015, at the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly and Sustainable Development Summit, 194 member states unanimously adopted the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, containing 17 goals and 169 indicators that became the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Unlike the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that had ended in 2015, all countries from least to fully developed were charged with implementing these goals from 2016 to 2030.


Also Known As
2030 Sustainable Development Agenda (Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development)
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The Conditions of Acceptance in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 

presented by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea

“peaceful and durable environment for development is impeded by artificial obstacles such as economic sanctions”

The Sustainable Development Goals consist of 17 goals with 169 targets, aiming to eradicate poverty and any forms of discrimination, as well as address climate change issues. As a result of the consistent contributions made by the United Nations, including the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the international community, on September 25th, 2015, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution A/70/L.1 calling for all countries and all stakeholders to act in a collaborative partnership to implement the 2030 Agenda. Therefore, as one of the 193 United Nations member states, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea accepted the agenda "Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development."

However, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, H.E. Mr. RI SU YONG stated that the DPRK would make "strenuous efforts to adopt the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," and a "peaceful and durable environment for development should be provided before anything else to achieve the goals for complete eradication of poverty and sustainable socio-economic development." Further, as "artificial obstacles" such as sanctions are impeding the "peaceful and durable environment," if these economic sanctions are left intact, "the excellent development goals will not be attained."

Reference: 12th Plenary Meeting of General Assembly 70th Session, Statement by H.E. Mr. RI SU YONG, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea at the United Nations Summit for the adoption for the Post-2015 Development Agenda, New York, 27 September 2015.

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Official documents that reflect the DPRK's commitment and planning in the implementation of the SDGs

Strategic Framework for Cooperation between the United Nations and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea 2017-2021 (2016) 

North-East Asian Multistakeholder Forum on Sustainable Development Goals 2019,
North Korea Presentation (2019)

Democratic People's Republic of Korea Voluntary National Review on the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda (2021)

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) & North Korean Human Rights

To address diverse social issues, organize climate action, and reduce economic disparity among states, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outline goals and targets requiring equal contribution and commitment from every United Nations member state. The agenda initiated to achieve the sustainable development of humanity is widely considered the most participatory in the United Nations' history. Unlike the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the SDGs outline specific targets for each goal and adopt extensive human rights principles and standards.

The 2030 Agenda has its foundation in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. In other words, the principles of human rights are reflected in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets, in which both development goals and human rights are mutually integrated. According to the The Human Rights Guide to the Sustainable Development Goals, written by the Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR), over 92% of the Sustainable Development Goals are reflected in the articles drafted by the international instruments. Further, the DIHR developed a website outlining the relationship between the SDGs and the United Nations Human Rights mechanisms. This research enables a diverse set of stakeholders and countries with dire human rights situations to understand the SDGs and establish monitoring criteria to evaluate improvements in the human rights situation.

Using International Human Rights Treaties (UN Charter, Declaration of Human Rights) as a base, connecting each goal with human rights

Ensuring Rights of Freedom (ICCPR) and extending to Social Rights and Right to Development to promote the Right to Life and welfare 

The highest participation in the UN's history, all member states working toward the same goals 

NKDB & The SDGs

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Date

Program Name

Link

2018.12.10
Strategies for Improving Human Rights in North Korea - Linking Sustainable Development Goals to Human Rights' Seminar
'UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Human Rights; SDG 3: The Right to Health in North Korea' Report Publication and Seminar
The Sustainable Development Goals & North Korean Human Rights Workshop Series (Konrad Adenauer Stiftung)
View +
Project Linking the SDGs and North Korean Human Rights (in progress) (UniKorea Foundation)
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Understanding the SDGs and their Linkage to North Korean Human Rights SDGs와 북한인권 교육 프로그램 (UniKorea Foundation)
2021
Participation in the High Level Political Forum (HLPF)
2021
Publishing of The Human Rights Guide to DPRK's SDGs ReportView +
2022Meaningful Engagement and Advocacy for North Korea: SDGs? Seminar
View +
2022Launch of the North Korean SDG Data Portal
View +

Linking the Sustainable Development Goals and North Korean Human Rights