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On
September 19, 2005, thirty-five months after the first meeting, the
fourth round of six-party talks ended in Beijing with adoption of a
joint statement saying that North Korea is committed to abandoning all
its nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs.
The
Korean Women’s Associations United (KWAU), having led such programs
as North-South Korean women exchange visits and one-nation events (North-South
joint activities) welcomes the conclusion and honors the six parties
that have worked on this for more than two years.The statement declares
that:
1. North Korea is committed to abandoning all its nuclear weapons and
existing nuclear programs;
2. North Korea and the US respect each other's sovereignty;
3. The six parties will promote economic cooperation and energy support,
bilaterally or multilaterally;
4. The six parties are committed to making joint efforts for lasting
peace and stability in Northeast Asia;
5. The six parties will take coordinated steps to implement their consensus
in a phased manner in line with the principle of "commitment for
commitment, action for action;”
6. The fifth round of six-party talks will be held in Beijing in early
November this year at a date to be determined through further consultation.The
statement is a breakthrough in resolving the nuclear issue on the Korean
peninsula, which has lived under the nuclear threat for a long time.
The agreement to make efforts for lasting peace in particular is expected
to open a new era of peace and reconciliation. It is virtually a confirmation
of denuclearization, so that people in both Koreas can lead their lives
without fearing this form of terror. Thus the statement is a prelude
to a new order of stability and peace in the Far East.
Since 1991, South Korean women who suffered a lot under previous military
governments have worked to resolve disputes and restore peace to the
peninsula in the belief that women's welfare can only be achieved in
a peaceful land. Their efforts are in accordance with UN security council
resolution 1325, which notes the importance of women's efforts and participation
in a peaceful solution of disputes. Both Koreas should try to resolve
the military tension resulting from the current ceasefire status and
move through cabinet-level talks towards a status of peace in line with
the spirit of the statement. North Korea and the US, on the other hand,
should try to 'respect each other's sovereignty' as they agreed to do,
in order to build trust.
Now at the 5th anniversary of the joint statement of June 15, 2000 (adopted
after the historic summit meeting of Kim Jung Il and Kim Dae Jung) and
the 60th anniversary of Independence (of Korea from Japanese colonial
rule), Northeast Asia including the Korean peninsula welcomes a new
age of peace and reconciliation. The six parties should try earnestly
to carry out the agreements to nurture peace in this area.
No matter how the parties' opinions differ in detail, we women demand
that they exhaust all means to overcome these differences and achieve
a peaceful outcome.
Korea Women's Associations United
Nam Yoon In-soon, Chung Hyun-back, Park Young-mi
Korea Women's Associations United (KWAU) was founded in February 1987
to unite the power of women's organizations working for women's rights
and democracy. KWAU currently has 5 regional sections and 28 member
organizations, representing the progressive women's movement in Korea.
http://www.women21.or.kr/news/W_English/default.asp
For the full text of the North Korea nuclear agreement:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4259176.stm
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