A South Korea-led multinational cooperation group was launched on Tuesday to promote global cooperation against discrimination and hate associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.  
 
The Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that South Korea and ten other countries launched the Group of Friends for Solidarity and Inclusion with Global Citizenship Education at the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO).

About 110 officials attended the inaugural videoconference, including Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay.

In her congratulatory remarks, Minister Kang stressed that hatred against foreigners and discrimination erodes the foundation of human rights and hinders efforts to contain the pandemic, while stressing the importance of world civil education on the matter. 

Seoul led the effort to establish the group after the launch of similar cooperation groups at the United Nations on May 12 and the World Health Organization last Wednesday.