19 October 2023, Seoul - A global uptick in rates of gender-based violence since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic reveals the fragility of previously made progress against violence. Among the primary victims are women and girls who increasingly suffer from gender-based violence that is silently creeping into our daily lives through the use of information communication technologies and other digital tools.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) of the Republic of Korea signed today a Statement of Intent and Funding Window Agreement during a bilateral meeting in Seoul, held at the margins of the International Police Summit 2023 hosted by KNPA.

UNDP and KNPA have entered an agreement in support of UNDP’s ‘Governance, Peacebuilding, Crisis and Resilience’ work, kickstarting the ‘Police Capacity Building Support Programme for Combating Gender-based Violence in the Digital Sphere’. The programme aims to share KNPA’s experience and expertise in addressing technology-facilitated gender-based violence to create an enabling policy environment, empowering partner countries to strengthen their national capacities to tackle gender-based violence and address the practical challenges of related crimes. The Republic of Korea will join the group of committed donors under the Programme Board of UNDP Global Programme for Rule of Law and Human Rights.

The partnership aims to expand the strategic cooperation of UNDP and KNPA to enhance development efforts, particularly in facilitating innovative and effective initiatives on the rule of law, gender equality and police capacity building. The signing of the partnership agreements reaffirmed the joint commitment to protect the vulnerable and establish transparent, effective and accountable public institutions around the world.

“We are very happy for KNPA’s invaluable and generous sharing of expertise with UNDP,” said Haoliang Xu, United Nations Under Secretary-General and Associate Administrator of UNDP. “The rule of law, security, and effective policing are critical for building the foundation of any development; and the history of the Korean Police becoming one of the world’s most effective, efficient, and people-oriented police forces is truly inspiring from the human development perspective,” he added.

“UNDP and KNPA both envision and aim to realize a safer world for all. The Korean Police is happy to share the knowledge and experience gathered with other countries to promote peace, security, and stability,” said Hee Keun Yoon, Commissioner General of KNPA. “The slogan ’leaving no one behind’ intersects with the commitment of the Korean Police, and I am hopeful that our continued collaboration will provide meaningful contributions toward achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” he added.

KNPA has been a long-standing partner of UNDP since 2017, and numerous UNDP Country Offices and national partners have benefited through KNPA’s generous sharing of expertise. Through UNDP Seoul Policy Centre’s SDG Partnerships on gender-based violence – a programme which provides capacity building support to countries aiming to overcome their challenges in tackling gender-based violence – the experience and expertise of the Korean police in this area have been shared with Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, and North Macedonia.

About UNDP

UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet.

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About UNDP Seoul Policy Centre

The UNDP Seoul Policy Centre is a facilitator of innovative development cooperation to catalyse the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Through its SDG Partnerships programme and other South-South and Triangular Cooperation initiatives, the Centre supports countries by sharing innovative, tested-and-proven practices and policy tools on strategic development issues globally.

Learn more at undp.org/policy-centre/seoul or follow at @UNDPSPC.