# 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. 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.

## Text

This translation of the Declaration appeared in Proletarian #18 (June 2007):
   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.

## Signatories

The Declaration was originally signed on 20 April 1992 by 69 parties. The Mongolian People's Party later withdrew from the declaration, the only party to do so. According to KCNA, "Six months later, the number of signatories reached more than 140. "They numbered over 170 one year later". At the time of the ten-year anniversary in 2002 there were 258 signatories. In 2012 there were 280. The number of signatories reached 300 in 2017. North Korea often cites these numbers for propaganda purposes.
List of signatories :
| Country | Party | Date |
| Albania | Communist Party of Albania | 20 April 1992 |
| Angola | People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola | 20 April 1992 |
| Argentina | Communist Party of Argentina | 20 April 1992 |
| Argentina | Quebracho | 22 March 2012 |
| Bangladesh | Workers Party of Bangladesh | 20 April 1992 |
| Bangladesh | Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal | 20 April 1992 |
| Bangladesh | Socialist Party of Bangladesh | 15 April 1997 |
| Bangladesh | Bangladesh Jatiya Party | 21 April 2016 |
| Bangladesh | People's Solidarity Movement of Bangladesh | 24 April 2016 |
| Bangladesh | Revolutionary Workers' Party of Bangladesh | 24 April 2016 |
| Bangladesh | Democratic Revolutionary Party of Bangladesh | 24 April 2016 |
| Bangladesh | United Communist League of Bangladesh | 24 April 2016 |
| Bangladesh | Communist Party of Bangladesh | |
| Barbados | Workers Party of Barbados | 20 April 1992 |
| Belarus | Communist Party of the Workers of Belarus | 12 April 2012 |
| Belgium | Workers' Party of Belgium | 20 April 1992 |
| Bermuda | Progressive Labour Party | 20 April 1992 |
| Benin | Revolutionary Party of Benin | |
| Bolivia | Bolivian Communist Party | 20 April 1992 |
| Brazil | Brazilian Communist Party | 20 April 1992 |
| Brazil | Communist Party of Brazil | 20 April 1992 |
| Bulgaria | Bulgarian Communist Party – Marxists | 20 April 1992 |
| Bulgaria | Communist Party of Bulgaria | 10 October 1997 |
| Chile | Communist Party of Chile | 20 April 1992 |
| Chile | Socialist Party of Chile | 20 April 1992 |
| Colombia | Colombian Communist Party | 20 April 1992 |
| Costa Rica | Costa Rican People's Party | 20 April 1992 |
| Cyprus | Progressive Party of Working People | 20 April 1992 |
| DR Congo | National Movement of the Genuine Lumumbist Combantants | |
| DR Congo | Workers' Party of Zaire | |
| DR Congo | People's Rally for Socialism | |
| DR Congo | Convention of United Democratic Congolese | 28 November 2016 |
| DR Congo | Workers' Party of Democratic Congo | 2 April 2012 |
| DR Congo | Popular Revolutionary Party | 15 April 2015 |
| DR Congo | Unified Lumumbist Party | 15 April 2017 |
| DR Congo | Workers' Party of the Democratic Republic of the Congo | 2 January 2018 |
| Denmark | Common Course | 20 April 1992 |
| Denmark | Communist Forum of Denmark | 20 April 1992 |
| Denmark | Communist Party in Denmark | 18 October 2018 |
| Dominica | Dominica Labour Party | 20 April 1992 |
| Dominican Republic | Dominican Communist Party | 20 April 1992 |
| Dominican Republic | United Left Movement | 20 April 1992 |
| Ecuador | Communist Party of Ecuador | 20 April 1992 |
| Egypt | Egyptian Arab Socialist Party | |
| Finland | Communist Workers' Party – For Peace and Socialism | 20 April 1992 |
| Finland | League of Communists | |
| Germany | German Communist Party | 20 April 1992 |
| Grenada | Maurice Bishop Patriotic Movement | 20 April 1992 |
| Guatemala | United National Hope of Guatemala | 18 March 2006 |
| Guyana | Caribbean National Movement | 20 April 1992 |
| Honduras | United Democratic Party of Honduras | 6 April 2006 |
| Hungary | Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party | 20 April 1992 |
| India | Communist Party of India (Marxist) | 20 April 1992 |
| India | Communist Party of India | 20 April 1992 |
| India | All India Forward Bloc | |
| Iraq | Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Iraq Region | 20 April 1992 |
| Ireland | Communist Party of Ireland | 20 April 1992 |
| Ireland | Communist Party of Ireland (Marxist–Leninist) | 15 February 1999 |
| Italy | Movement for Peace and Socialism | 20 April 1992 |
| Jordan | Jordanian Communist Party | 20 April 1992 |
| Jordan | Arab Defenders' Party | 5 April 1997 |
| Jordan | Christian Arab Democratic Party | 5 April 1997 |
| Kyrgyzstan | Marxist–Leninist Reunification Communist Party of the Kyrgyz People | 30 March 2007 |
| Kyrgyzstan | Aalam-Party of Non-Parties | 15 April 2016 |
| Lebanon | Syrian Social Nationalist Party in Lebanon | 20 April 1992 |
| Malta | Communist Party of Malta | 20 April 1992 |
| Martinique | Communist Party of Martinique | 20 April 1992 |
| Mexico | Popular Socialist Party of Mexico | 20 April 1992 |
| Mexico | Socialist Party of Mexico | 25 May 2003 |
| Mexico | Communists' Party of Mexico | 28 September 2003 |
| Moldova | Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova | 7 September 2018 |
| Mongolia | Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party | 20 April 1992 |
| Namibia | South West Africa People's Organisation | 20 April 1992 |
| Nepal | Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) | 20 April 1992 |
| Nepal | Communist Party of Nepal (Unity Centre) | 20 April 1992 |
| Nepal | Nepal Workers and Peasants Party | 20 April 1992 |
| Nepal | Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist–Leninist) | 2007 |
| Nepal | United Socialist Nationalist Party of Nepal | 3 April 2017 |
| Nigeria | People's Progressive Party | 23 April 2016 |
| Nigeria | Better Nigeria Progressive Party | 10 February 2017 |
| North Korea | Workers' Party of Korea | 20 April 1992 |
| Norway | Norwegian Communist Party | 20 April 1992 |
| Paraguay | Communist Party of Paraguay | 20 April 1992 |
| Peru | Revolutionary Socialist Party | |
| Poland | Polish League of Communists (Proletariat) [pl] | 20 April 1992 |
| Puerto Rico | Nationalist Party-Liberty | 22 March 2012 |
| Romania | New Socialist Party of Romania | 20 April 1992 |
| Romania | Romanian Communist Party | |
| Russia | All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks | 20 April 1992 |
| Russia | Russian Communist Workers Party | 20 April 1992 |
| Russia | Union of Communists | 20 April 1992 |
| Russia | Socialist Workers' Party | |
| Russia | Party of Peace and Unity | 10 April 1997 |
| Russia | Russian All-People's Union | 12 September 2018 |
| Russia | Communists of Russia | 23 December 2020 |
| Saint Kitts & Nevis | Saint Kitts and Nevis Labour Party | 20 April 1992 |
| Serbia | New Communist Party of Yugoslavia | |
| South Africa | South African Communist Party | 20 April 1992 |
| Spain | Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain | 20 April 1992 |
| Spain | Democratic Workers' Party [es] | 13 April 2015 |
| Sri Lanka | Communist Party of Sri Lanka | 20 April 1992 |
| Sri Lanka | People's Liberation Front | 2007 |
| Suriname | National Democratic Party | 20 April 1992 |
| Sweden | Workers' Party – The Communists | 20 April 1992 |
| Syria | Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Syria Region | 20 April 1992 |
| Syria | Socialist Unionist Party | |
| Tajikistan | Tajik Communist Party | |
| Transnistria | Transnistrian Communist Party | 31 March 2017 |
| Trinidad & Tobago | February 18th Movement | 20 April 1992 |
| Tunisia | Popular Unity Party | 20 April 1992 |
| Turkey | Socialist Party | 20 April 1992 |
| United Kingdom | Communist Party of Britain | 20 April 1992 |
| United Kingdom | New Communist Party of Britain | 20 April 1992 |
| United Kingdom | Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (Marxist–Leninist) | |
| United Kingdom | Communist Organisation of Britain | |
| United Kingdom | Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist–Leninist) | 1 May 2007 |
| United States | Communist Party USA | 20 April 1992 |
| United States | Socialist Workers Party | 20 April 1992 |
| United States | Workers World Party | 20 April 1992 |
| Venezuela | Communist Party of Venezuela | 20 April 1992 |
| Venezuela | New Alternative | 20 April 1992 |
| Venezuela | Tupamaro | 2018 |
| Venezuela | New Forces Party | |
| Yugoslavia | League of Communists – Movement for Yugoslavia | 20 April 1992 |