Ban discusses humanitarian issues with senior DPR Korea minister

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed concern today about the humanitarian situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), particularly since the recent floods, in a meeting with the country’s Vice Foreign Minister Pak Gil Yon.

Mr. Ban highlighted the need for a more proactive donor commitment to meet the serious humanitarian needs and encouraged the DPRK to increase cooperation with UN agencies, including through improved access.

The two officials discussed matters of mutual interest and concern, including UN-DPRK relations as well as the nuclear and other humanitarian issues, according to information released by a spokesperson for Mr. Ban.

They also welcomed visits carried out this year by the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe and by World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Margaret Chan, and agreed to continue high-level engagement.

Mr. Ban encouraged the Government to step up its efforts to close the gap in achieving the series of anti-poverty Millennium Development Goals (MDG) by their target date of 2015.