Pyongyang Declaration

The Pyongyang Declaration, officially titled Let Us Defend and Advance the Cause of Socialism, was a statement signed by a number of political parties on 20 April 1992 that calls for the unity of the socialist camp and a vow to safeguard socialism. Representatives of 70 communist and socialist parties from 51 countries arrived in Pyongyang, North Korea, to celebrate Kim Il Sung's 80th birthday.[1] While there, the delegates had many bilateral and multilateral contacts with each other and decided to issue a declaration reiterating their commitment to socialism in spite of the collapse of the USSR and a number of other communist regimes in recent years. On 20 April the declaration was signed by delegates of 69 parties, including 48 party leaders.[2]

Not to be confused with the Japan–North Korea Pyongyang Declaration or the 2018 Pyongyang Joint Declaration.

Text

This translation of the Declaration appeared in Proletarian #18 (June 2007):[3]

The representatives of political parties from different countries of the world who are striving for the victory of socialism publish this declaration with a firm conviction to defend and advance the socialist cause.

Ours is an era of independence and the socialist cause is a sacred one aimed at realising the independence of the popular masses.

Socialism suffered a setback in some countries in recent years. As a consequence of this, the imperialists and reactionaries are claiming that socialism has ‘come to an end’. This is nothing but a sophistry to beautify and embellish capitalism and patronise the old order.

The setback of socialism and the revival of capitalism in some countries is causing a great loss to the achievement of the socialist cause, but it can never be interpreted as the denial of the superiority of socialism and of the reactionary character of capitalism.

Socialism has long been the ideal of mankind and it represents the future of mankind.

Socialist society is, in essence, a genuine society for the people where the popular masses are the masters of everything and everything serves them.

But the capitalist society is an unfair one where ‘the rich get ever richer and the poor poorer’. In this society money decides everything, exploitation of man by man predominates and a handful of exploiter classes lord it over all. It is inevitably accompanied by political non-rights, unemployment, poverty, drugs, crimes and other kinds of all social evils which trample human dignity underfoot.

Only socialism can eliminate domination, subjugation and social inequality of all kinds and ensure the people substantial freedom, equality, true democracy and human rights.

The popular masses have long carried on an arduous struggle for the victory of socialism and shed much blood in this course.

The path of socialism is an untrodden one and, therefore, the advance of socialism is inevitably accompanied by trials and difficulties. One of the reasons for the unsuccessful construction of socialism in some countries is that they failed to build a social structure conforming to the fundamental requirements of the popular masses and build socialism suited to the demand of the theory of scientific socialism.

The guarantee for the advance of a socialist society lies in that the popular masses become the genuine masters of the society.

Such a society makes a triumphant advance – this is a truth and reality proved by theory and practice.

The parties and progressive mankind aspiring after socialism have drawn a very precious lesson therefrom.

In order to defend and advance the socialist cause individual parties should firmly maintain independence and firmly build up their own forces.

The socialist movement is an independent one. Socialism is carved out and built with a country or national state as a unit. The socialist cause in each country should be fulfilled on the responsibility of the party and people of that country.

Each party should work out lines and policies which tally with the actual situation of the country where it is active and with the demands of its people and implement them by relying on the popular masses.

It should not abandon its revolutionary principles at any time and under any circumstances but uplift the banner of socialism.

The socialist cause is a national one and, at the same time, a common cause of mankind.

All parties should cement the ties of comradely unity, cooperation and solidarity on the principles of independence and equality.

Now that the imperialists and reactionaries are attacking socialism and people in an international collusion, the parties which are building socialism or aspiring after it should defend and advance socialism on an international scale and strengthen mutual support and solidarity in their efforts for social justice, democracy, the right to existence and peace against imperialist domination, subjugation by capital and neo-colonialism.

This is an international duty incumbent upon all parties and progressive forces for socialism and an undertaking for their own cause.

We will advance under the unfurled banner of socialism in firm unity with all progressive political parties, organisations, and peoples of the world who are striving to defend socialism against capitalism and imperialism.

Let us all fight it out to open up the future of mankind with a firm conviction in the cause of socialism.

Final victory is on the part of the people fighting in unity for socialism.

The socialist cause shall not perish.[3]

Signatories

The Declaration was originally signed on 20 April 1992 by 69 parties.[2] Of the original signatories, only two – Workers' Party of Korea and the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party – were major parties. The Mongolian party later withdrew from the declaration.[1] According to KCNA, "Six months later, the number of signatories reached more than 140. "They numbered over 170 one year later".[4] At the time of the ten-year anniversary in 2002 there were 258 signatories.[5] In 2012 there were 280.[5][4] The number of signatories reached 300 in 2017.[4] North Korea often cites these numbers for propaganda purposes.[6]

  Original signatories
  Withdrawn
List of signatories
Country Party Date
 Albania Communist Party of Albania 20 April 1992 [2]
 Angola People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola 20 April 1992 [2]
 Argentina Communist Party of Argentina 20 April 1992 [2]
Quebracho 22 March 2012 [7]
 Bangladesh Workers Party of Bangladesh 20 April 1992 [2]
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal 20 April 1992 [2]
Socialist Party of Bangladesh 15 April 1997 [8]
Bangladesh Jatiya Party 21 April 2016 [9]
People's Solidarity Movement of Bangladesh 24 April 2016 [10]
Revolutionary Workers' Party of Bangladesh 24 April 2016 [10]
Democratic Revolutionary Party of Bangladesh 24 April 2016 [10]
United Communist League of Bangladesh 24 April 2016 [10]
Communist Party of Bangladesh [11]
 Barbados Workers Party of Barbados 20 April 1992 [2]
 Belgium Workers' Party of Belgium 20 April 1992 [2]
 Bermuda Progressive Labour Party 20 April 1992 [2]
 Benin Revolutionary Party of Benin [12]
 Bolivia Bolivian Communist Party 20 April 1992 [2]
 Brazil Brazilian Communist Party 20 April 1992 [2][13]
Communist Party of Brazil 20 April 1992 [2][14]
 Bulgaria Bulgarian Communist Party – Marxists 20 April 1992 [2]
Communist Party of Bulgaria 10 October 1997 [15]
 Chile Communist Party of Chile 20 April 1992 [2]
Socialist Party of Chile 20 April 1992 [2]
 Colombia Colombian Communist Party 20 April 1992 [2]
 Costa Rica Costa Rican People's Party 20 April 1992 [2]
 Cyprus Progressive Party of Working People 20 April 1992 [2]
 DR Congo National Movement of the Genuine Lumumbist Combantants [16]
Workers' Party of Zaire [16]
People's Rally for Socialism [17]
Convention of United Democratic Congolese 28 November 2016 [18]
Workers' Party of Democratic Congo 2 April 2012 [19]
Popular Revolutionary Party 15 April 2015 [20]
Unified Lumumbist Party 15 April 2017 [21]
Workers' Party of the Democratic Republic of the Congo 2 January 2018 [22]
 Denmark Common Course 20 April 1992 [2]
Communist Forum of Denmark 20 April 1992 [2]
Communist Party in Denmark 18 October 2018 [23]
 Dominica Dominica Labour Party 20 April 1992 [2]
 Dominican Republic Dominican Communist Party 20 April 1992 [2]
United Left Movement 20 April 1992 [2]
 Ecuador Communist Party of Ecuador 20 April 1992 [2]
 Egypt Egyptian Arab Socialist Party [17]
 Finland Communist Workers' Party – For Peace and Socialism 20 April 1992 [2]
League of Communists [24]
 Germany German Communist Party 20 April 1992 [2]
 Grenada Maurice Bishop Patriotic Movement 20 April 1992 [2]
 Guatemala United National Hope of Guatemala 18 March 2006 [12]
 Guyana Caribbean National Movement 20 April 1992 [2]
 Honduras United Democratic Party of Honduras 6 April 2006 [12]
 Hungary Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party 20 April 1992 [2]
 India Communist Party of India (Marxist) 20 April 1992 [2]
Communist Party of India 20 April 1992 [2]
All India Forward Bloc [25]
 Iraq Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Iraq Region 20 April 1992 [2]
 Ireland Communist Party of Ireland 20 April 1992 [2]
Communist Party of Ireland (Marxist–Leninist) 15 February 1999 [26]
 Italy Movement for Peace and Socialism 20 April 1992 [2]
 Jordan Jordanian Communist Party 20 April 1992 [2]
Arab Defenders' Party 5 April 1997 [8]
Christian Arab Democratic Party 5 April 1997 [8]
 Kyrgyzstan Marxist–Leninist Reunification Communist Party of the Kyrgyz People 30 March 2007 [27]
Aalam-Party of Non-Parties 15 April 2016 [28]
 Lebanon Syrian Social Nationalist Party in Lebanon 20 April 1992 [2]
 Malta Communist Party of Malta 20 April 1992 [2]
 Martinique Communist Party of Martinique 20 April 1992 [2]
 Mexico Popular Socialist Party of Mexico 20 April 1992 [2]
Socialist Party of Mexico 25 May 2003 [29]
Communists' Party of Mexico 28 September 2003 [30]
 Moldova Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova 7 September 2018 [31]
 Mongolia Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party 20 April 1992 [1]
 Namibia South West Africa People's Organisation 20 April 1992 [2]
   Nepal Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) 20 April 1992 [2]
Communist Party of Nepal (Unity Centre) 20 April 1992 [2]
Nepal Workers and Peasants Party 20 April 1992 [2]
Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist–Leninist) 2007 [32]
United Socialist Nationalist Party of Nepal 3 April 2017 [33]
 Nigeria People's Progressive Party 23 April 2016 [34]
Better Nigeria Progressive Party 10 February 2017 [35]
 North Korea Workers' Party of Korea 20 April 1992 [2]
 Norway Norwegian Communist Party 20 April 1992 [2]
 Paraguay Communist Party of Paraguay 20 April 1992 [2]
 Peru Revolutionary Socialist Party [36]
 Poland Polish League of Communists (Proletariat) 20 April 1992 [2]
 Puerto Rico Nationalist Party-Liberty 22 March 2012 [7]
 Romania New Socialist Party of Romania 20 April 1992 [2]
Romanian Communist Party [37]
 Russia All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks 20 April 1992 [2]
Russian Communist Workers Party 20 April 1992 [2]
Communists League of Russia 20 April 1992 [2]
Party of Peace and Unity 10 April 1997 [8]
General People's Union Party 12 September 2018 [38]
 Saint Kitts & Nevis Saint Kitts and Nevis Labour Party 20 April 1992 [2]
 Serbia New Communist Party of Yugoslavia [12]
 South Africa South African Communist Party 20 April 1992 [2]
 Spain Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain 20 April 1992 [2]
Democratic Workers' Party 13 April 2015 [39]
 Sri Lanka Communist Party of Sri Lanka 20 April 1992 [2]
People's Liberation Front 2007 [32]
 Suriname National Democratic Party 20 April 1992 [2]
 Sweden Workers' Party – The Communists 20 April 1992 [2]
 Syria Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Syria Region 20 April 1992 [2]
Socialist Unionist Party [17]
 Tajikistan Tajik Communist Party [11]
 Transnistria Transnistrian Communist Party 31 March 2017 [40]
 Trinidad & Tobago February 18th Movement 20 April 1992 [2]
 Tunisia Popular Unity Party 20 April 1992 [2]
 Turkey Socialist Party 20 April 1992 [2]
 United Kingdom Communist Party of Britain 20 April 1992 [2]
New Communist Party of Britain 20 April 1992 [2]
Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (Marxist–Leninist) [41]
Communist Organisation of Britain [41]
Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist–Leninist) 1 May 2007 [42]
 United States Communist Party USA 20 April 1992 [2]
Socialist Workers Party 20 April 1992 [2]
Workers World Party 20 April 1992 [2]
 Venezuela Communist Party of Venezuela 20 April 1992 [2]
New Alternative 20 April 1992 [2]
Tupamaro 2018 [43]
New Forces Party [11]
 Yugoslavia League of Communists – Movement for Yugoslavia 20 April 1992 [2]

See also

References
  1. A Handbook on North Korea 1998, p. 97.
  2. "Alliance 19; April 1996, The Path to a New Communist, Marxist -Leninist International Appendix 1". Archived from the original on 16 February 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  3. CPGB-ML signs up to Pyongyang Declaration
  4. "Pyongyang Declaration Signed by More than 300 Political Parties of World". KCNA. 21 April 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  5. Pyongyang declaration signed by 258 political parties Archived 12 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  6. A Handbook on North Korea 1998, p. 98.
  7. "Pyongyang Declaration Signed by Political Parties of Argentina, Puerto Rico". KCNA. 2 April 2012. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014.
  8. "Pyongyang Declaration signed by more parties". KCNA. 18 April 1997. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014.
  9. "Bangladesh Jatiya Party Signs Pyongyang Declaration". KCNA. 24 April 2016. Archived from the original on 24 November 2019.
  10. "Bangladeshi Parties Sign Pyongyang Declaration". KCNA. 29 April 2016. Archived from the original on 24 November 2019.
  11. "Pyongyang Declaration signed by 250 political parties". KCNA. 17 December 1999. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014.
  12. "Newstream". KCNA Watch. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  13. ""The Working Class"" (PDF). A Classe Operária. 79, 6th period: 7. 25 May 1992.
  14. ""The Working Class"" (PDF). A Classe Operária. 79, 6th period: 7. 25 May 1992.
  15. "Vitality of Pyongyang Declaration". KCNA. 16 October 1997. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014.
  16. "Floral baskets on President Kim Il Sung's birth anniversary". KCNA. 26 April 1997. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014.
  17. "Over 270 Political Parties Sign Pyongyang Declaration". KCNA. 20 April 2007. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014.
  18. "Political Party of DR Congo Signs Pyongyang Declaration". KCNA. 3 December 2017. Archived from the original on 24 November 2019.
  19. "Pyongyang Declaration Signed by Workers' Party of Democratic Congo". KCNA. 10 April 2012. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014.
  20. Political Party of DR Congo Signs Pyongyang Declaration Archived 5 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  21. "Political Party of DR Congo Signs Pyongyang Declaration". Rodong Sinmun. 20 April 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  22. "Workers' Party of DR Congo Signs Pyongyang Declaration". KCNA. 8 January 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  23. "Danish Party Signs Pyongyang Declaration". KCNA. 19 October 2018. Archived from the original on 24 November 2019.
  24. "Pyongyang Declaration Signed by More than 270 Political Parties". 23 May 2008. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014.
  25. "Solidarity with Just Struggle of Korean People Expressed". KCNA. 28 January 2007. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014.
  26. "242 political parties sign Pyongyang Declaration". KCNA. 4 March 1999. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014.
  27. "Kyrgyz Party Signs Pyongyang Declaration". KCNA. 12 April 2007. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015.
  28. "Kyrgyz Party Signs Pyongyang Declaration". KCNA. 17 April 2016. Archived from the original on 24 November 2019.
  29. "Pyongyang declaration signed by Mexican political party". KCNA. 11 June 2003. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014.
  30. "Solidarity with DPRK Expressed". KCNA. 6 October 2003. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014.
  31. "Party of Socialists in Republic of Moldova Signs Pyongyang Declaration". KCNA. 7 September 2018. Archived from the original on 24 November 2019.
  32. "Pyongyang Declaration, Banner of Victorious Socialist Cause". KCNA. 20 April 2007. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014.
  33. "Nepali Party Signs Pyongyang Declaration". Rodong Snimun. 21 April 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  34. "Nigerian Party Signs Pyongyang Declaration". KCNA. 29 April 2016. Archived from the original on 24 November 2019.
  35. "Nigerian Party Signs Pyongyang Declaration". KCNA. 17 February 2017. Archived from the original on 24 November 2019.
  36. "Lecture on Situation of Korean Peninsula Given in Peru". KCNA. 27 December 2010. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014.
  37. "Pyongyang declaration signed by 239 parties". KCNA. 20 March 1998. Archived from the original on 12 October 2014.
  38. "General People's Union Party of Russia Signs Pyongyang Declaration". KCNA. 12 September 2018. Archived from the original on 24 November 2019.
  39. "Pyongyang Declaration Signed by Spanish Political Party". KCNA. 20 April 2015. Archived from the original on 3 July 2015.
  40. "Pridnestrovie Communist Party Signs Pyongyang Declaration". KCNA. 31 March 2017. Archived from the original on 24 November 2019.
  41. Communist Organisation of Britain New Year Message for 1996 p.8
  42. "British Party Signs Pyongyang Declaration". KCNA. 15 May 2007.
  43. "Pyongyang Declaration Signed by Venezuelan Party". KCNA. 22 February 2018. Archived from the original on 24 November 2019.

Works cited
  • A Handbook on North Korea (1st revised ed.). Seoul: Naewoe Press. 1998. OCLC 469900828.
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