UPF Commemorates 70 Years of the United Nations

The Universal Peace Federation (UPF) in cooperation with ACUNS Vienna, the Women’s Federation for World Peace, Segye Ilbo and Sun Moon University held a special event on Monday, May 11, 2015 entitled, “The UN at 70: Toward a Resolution of Tensions on the Korean Peninsula” at the United Nations Office in Vienna.

After welcoming remarks from Peter Haider, UPF-Austria president, and Jean-Luc Lemahieu, an official from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Session I started with Dr. Thomas Walsh, president of UPF-International, speaking about UPF’s efforts toward world peace.

True Mother gave the keynote speech entitled: “The Mission of the United Nations for Securing Peace in the World.” She highlighted many of the core issues and goals that UPF and the other attending organizations hope to bring forth.

The second session focused primarily on perspectives for the unification of the divided Korean Peninsula and implications for East Asia. Dr. Walther Lichem, former senior Austrian diplomat, and expert on UN issues presented, “The Role of ‘Good Citizen Countries’ in the Community of the United Nations.” Dr. Wim Van Eekelen, former Dutch minister of defense, gave the talk, “Unifying North and South Korea: What Can Be Learned from the European Experience?” These presentations laid the cultural context and groundwork for Professor Park Heung-Soon, dean of graduate studies at Sun Moon University, who presented, “Perspectives for North-South Unification,” and Humphrey Hawksley, a BBC correspondent and expert on developments in East Asia who spoke about, “Opportunities for Cooperation and Development in the Region.

Then “The Little Angels” of Korea entertained the group with a special and heartwarming performance of the song Arirang and a traditional Austrian song. 

The event was an important gathering of officials and representatives who are concerned with and actively taking part in peace-building activities.