Uttalande av Utrikesdepartementet

2021 Joint Statement by Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission Member States

Publicerad 09 juli 2021

Representatives of Poland, Sweden and Switzerland, Member States of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC) in Korea, met in Geneva on June 29-30, 2021 for their annual consultations.

The 2020 consultations had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Discussions focused on the current situation on the Korean Peninsula and its impact on the activities of the NNSC. The representatives also evaluated the operational tasks of the NNSC and reaffirmed their long-term commitment to contribute to a permanent peace solution on the Korean Peninsula. In addition, the NNSC Member States exchanged views with UN staff and representatives of several Geneva-based institutions over the situation on the Korean Peninsula and on the work of NNSC.

The NNSC was established 68 years ago through the Armistice Agreement of 27 July 1953, which is still the only legal instrument for the avoidance of hostilities on the Korean Peninsula. The role of the NNSC remains important in maintaining the military armistice as well as in promoting transparency and in building confidence on both sides of the military demarcation line.

A special focus was laid during the discussions on the developments on the Korean Peninsula. The period since the last consultations, held in 2019, was marked by a successively more difficult situation in terms of dialogue and communication, in part due to the Ccovid-19 pandemic. NNSC Member States underscored the need for all parties to continue to abstain from actions that risk increasing again tensions in the region and to undertake concrete measures to further build confidence and trust on the Peninsula.

NNSC Member States expressed their continued support for all efforts aimed at achieving a negotiated and sustainable solution on the Peninsula that addresses concerns of all actors. They discussed the perspectives for the reinstating of a dialogue or other initiatives for dialogue among the involved parties. Discussions also touched upon the possible roles of the NNSC, such as promoting transparency and confidence building. In this process. NNSC Member States also reaffirmed that denuclearization must be achieved and reiterated that the only way to bring about lasting stability in the region is by establishing a permanent peace arrangement on the peninsula.