UNCT Guest Speaker Series: IMO mission to the DPRK

On 4 February 2026, RC Joe Colombano hosted a new instalment of the UNCT Guest Speakers Series and invited Mr. George Demetriades of the International Maritime Organization to brief the UNCT on their recent mission to Pyongyang in November 2025. This was the first time UN international staff members were able to enter the DPRK since the visit of the Director-General of the FAO in July 2024. The briefing did not cover the specifics of the IMO mission itself, which are outside of the scope of work of the UNCT, but focused instead on the details of its logistical preparations, including protocol and travel arrangements, along with Mr. Demetriades’ own perspectives about daily life in Pyongyang. Five years since the departure of the UNCT from the DPRK, the briefing made for a welcome contribution to the UNCT’s own plans and preparations as it stands ready to return to Pyongyang at the government’s invitation.