A special envoy of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) arrived in Pyongyang Tuesday.
Upon arrival at Pyongyang's international airport, Lynn Pascoe, under-secretary-general of the United Nations for political affairs, told Xinhua that he and DPRK officials will mainly discuss the ways to enhance cooperation between the United Nations and the DPRK.
Pascoe is the first high-level UN official to visit the country since 2004.
During a visit to South Korea, Pascoe said Saturday that he plans to discuss "an entire range of issues" with DPRK officials when he visits Pyongyang.
The UN official is expected to meet with DPRK Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun and other high-level officials, and discuss with them issues ranging from Pyongyang's nuclear program to humanitarian aid.
The UN Security Council on June 12, 2009 adopted Resolution 1874 that allowed wider sanctions against the DPRK on the issue of its May 25 nuclear test.
The resolution banned all weapons exports from the DPRK and most arms imports into the country, authorized UN member states to inspect the DPRK's sea, air and land cargo and required them to seize and destroy any goods transported in violation of the sanctions.
The DPRK has rejected the resolution and announced it has quitted the six-party talks aimed at denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.