UN Women Knowledge and Partnerships Centre in the Republic of Korea

The UN Women Knowledge and Partnerships Centre in the Republic of Korea (formerly the UN Women Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality, hereinafter referred to as "the Centre") was established in 2022 in partnership with the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF) of the Republic of Korea (ROK). As the first international organization dedicated to gender equality in ROK, the Centre was founded with a shared mandate to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls across Asia and the Pacific.

Located in Seoul, the Centre has, in just over two years, contributed to developing strategic partnerships and strengthening cross-country exchanges and learning among member states in the Asia-Pacific region, and between various actors and stakeholders within the ROK. It has provided a platform for capacity development, advocacy, and the convening of strategic policy dialogues across various thematic areas, including women's economic empowerment, gender-transformative disaster risk reduction, gender-responsive climate actions, Women, Peace and Security, ending gender-based violence, gender statistics, and private sector partnerships.

To ensure efficiency and greater impact in advancing the Beijing Platform for Action and the gender equality commitments taken in the 2030 Agenda and the UN’s Pact for the Future, the Centre’s focus has been finetuned and is prioritising knowledge development/exchange and diverse partnerships in the areas of 1) transforming care systems; and 2) tackling technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV). In early 2025, the Centre was subsequently renamed the UN Women Knowledge & Partnerships Centre in the Republic of Korea, to better capture the functions the Centre carries out under its revised focus and within UN Women’s broader regional and global footprint; primarily as a crucial means by which knowledge gaps will be filled and regional and global partnerships put in place with Korean-based institutions to accelerate achieving the gender equality commitments taken by Member States worldwide.

As part of this revised focus, the Centre will embrace innovation, placing particular emphasis on emerging technologies and strategic partnerships that leverage Korea’s advanced technological ecosystem and culture of innovation. Through this approach, the Centre aims to expand the reach and impact of its work. At both the regional and global levels, the Centre will focus on advancing knowledge, responses and strategies on transforming care systems as a cornerstone of women’s overall empowerment; strengthening knowledge, policies and tools to end TFGBV; and promoting stronger multistakeholder partnerships for gender equality and women’s empowerment. Through these initiatives, the Centre aims to drive impactful solutions and reaffirm its role as a catalyst for gender equality and women's empowerment in the Asia-Pacific region and beyon.

About UN Women

Established in 2010, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (“UN Women”) is the global champion for women and girls ...

About Director Jeongshim Lee

Jeongshim Lee was appointed Director of the UN Women Knowledge and Partnerships Centre in Seoul, the Republic of Korea in September 2022 ...

COE in brief

The Centre is a ‘knowledge hub’ to facilitate research, education & training, sharing of innovations and lessons learned, networking, and  ...