WOMENCROSSDMZ: Open Letter to the UN Secretary-General
Dear Secretary-General Ban:
We are women leaders from 38 countries, including many from nations that fought in the Korean War. We are from academia, business, civil society and the military, and represent a diversity of ethnicities, nationalities, religions, and political views. We are united by our belief that diplomacy is the only way to end the Korean War.
On July 27, 1953 leaders from the United States, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and China signed the Armistice Agreement to halt the Korean War. They promised to re-convene within three months to replace the ceasefire with a binding peace agreement. This never occurred and an entrenched state of war has ever since defined inter-Korean and U.S.-D.P.R.K. relations. This war must end.
We urge you as the leader of the UN, which was established “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war,” to fulfill a promise you made in a 2007 speech where you stated, ”Beyond a peaceful resolution of the nuclear issue with North Korea, we should aim to establish a peace mechanism, through transition from armistice to a permanent peace regimen.”
Korea is the only nation to remain divided as a result of WWII. For three generations, millions of families have been separated by the world’s most militarized border. We urge you to lead the process of bringing formal closure to the longest standing war before you leave your post in the United Nations.
During your remaining time as Secretary-General, we urge you to:
1. Initiate a peace process, together with the UN Security Council President, to replace the 1953 Armistice Agreement with a binding peace treaty to end the Korean War.
2. Aim to conclude this peace process by 2018, the 70th anniversary of Korea’s division into two separate states.
3. Ensure that women are significantly represented in the peace process in accordance with the spirit of UNSCR 1325.
On both sides of the De-Militarized Zone, the absence of a binding peace accord fuels fear, violations of human rights, and economic deprivation caused by diverting resources in preparation for war. Since 1950 Korea has been threatened with nuclear weapons (first by the United States and now also by North Korea), North Korean missile tests, and U.S.-South Korean military exercises. Furthermore, the recent decision to install the U.S. THAAD missile defense system in South Korea is viewed by countries in the region as a highly provocative and potentially destabilizing move.
Peace is the most powerful deterrent of all. As the Secretary-General of the UN with the mandate to maintain international peace and security, we urge you to take steps now to help formally end the Korean War with a peace treaty. Doing so would lead to greater peace and security in the world by countering the escalating militarization in the region and the proliferation of nuclear weapons worldwide.
The global community can no longer ignore the tragedy suffered by the Korean people. We look to you to leave behind a legacy of diplomacy for peace in Korea, Northeast Asia and our world, and to continue your active engagement for peace in Korea in your private capacity. We would appreciate acknowledgment of your receipt of this letter to info@womencrossdmz.org.