New UN resident coordinator for North Korea working in Thailand ‘Inspection’ of British Embassy in Pyongyang
Reuters reported on the 28th of last month that the United Nations appointed a Chinese coordinator to the new resident coordinator in North Korea on the 1st and began permanent work in Thailand, and that Germany and the United Kingdom began inspections at the Pyongyang embassy.
The United Nations issued a press release on the 1st, saying that it had appointed Joe Colombano from Italy as the new Resident Coordinator in North Korea.
The UN Secretary-General's Office said that he served as the Director of Sustainable Development at the UN Secretary-General's Office in New York for nearly 10 years, and also served as a senior advisor to the Special Envoy for the Novel Coronavirus at the World Health Organization (WHO).
A press release from the UN Secretary-General's Office said, “The new Coordinator Colombano will begin his duties on March 1 after receiving approval from the North Korean government.” Coordinator Colombano has more than 25 years of experience in the field of international relations and negotiations at UN headquarters and in the field. He is a veteran diplomat with many years of experience, and until recently he worked as the UN Resident Coordinator in Beijing, China.
Coordinator Colombano follows the expiration of the term of former Coordinator Prodi Moring in December last year, and the UN Resident Coordinator in North Korea is the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), WHO, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), World Food Program (WFP), and UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). ), and oversees five UN agencies in Pyongyang.
He has an economist background and is an expert in development finance at the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
In response to an inquiry from the Voice of America (VOA) regarding the work of the coordinator in North Korea, the Office of the UN Secretary General pointed out that UN international staff have not been stationed in North Korea since early 2021 when movement was restricted due to the new coronavirus related to his work location. “Discussions are underway to allow UN international staff to return when conditions allow,” he said. “The resident coordinator will be temporarily stationed at the UN regional headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, along with most UN country teams.” He answered, “I am working in Bangkok.”
Jérôme Sauvage, former head of the UNDP Pyongyang office who was dispatched to North Korea to carry out local work in North Korea, told VOA on the 1st, “If we cannot stay in North Korea, there will inevitably be major disruptions in our work,” adding, “One of the main duties of the resident coordinator is the humanitarian situation in the country. directly monitoring and coordinating the support and surveillance work of international organizations such as WFP and UNICEF.”
Regarding North Korea's embassy work in Pyongyang, VOA said, "The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs is interested in reinstating diplomatic missions stationed in North Korea before 2020," and "the two sides are currently discussing an appropriate time."
Reuters reported on the 28th of last month that the British Foreign Office was discussing with the North Korean government the schedule of the British technical diplomacy team's visit to North Korea through the North Korean embassy in London, and that it had begun an inspection of the Pyongyang embassy facilities.
Sauvage, head of the UNPD Pyongyang office, said, “The inability of a resident coordinator to stay on site means that it is very difficult to accurately understand the internal situation, and the coordination of work between international organizations and the scope of programs are also greatly limited.” He added, “Currently, North Korea is reopening its borders.” He told VOA that North Korea will soon allow employees of international organizations to enter the country as it appears to be opening up the country and seeking the return of foreign diplomats.