By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo
 

Minister of Environment Kim Wan-sup met with 60 ambassadors and deputy ambassadors of foreign diplomatic missions to Korea and emphasized joint cooperation with the international community to respond to environmental crises.

Ahead of the official event of ‘World Environment Day’ to be held on Jeju Island on June 5 with the theme of ‘Ending Plastic Pollution’, he requested support and participation from ministers of partner countries.

The Ministry of Environment held the ‘Climate and Environment Discussion of Foreign Diplomatic Missions to Korea’ at Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul on April 28, with the attendance of 90 people including ambassadors to Korea from 64 countries (20 ambassadors, 44 deputy ambassadors, etc.) and officials from international organizations stationed in Korea, including the Northeast Asia Regional Office of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).

The Ministry of Environment plans to use the meeting as an opportunity to integrate fragmented international cooperation channels in the environmental sector, while establishing detailed bilateral discussion bodies according to different conditions in each region and country to increase the efficiency of international cooperation in the environmental sector.

At the meeting, the following were discussed: △Korea’s carbon neutrality policy; △The status and promotion strategies of international development cooperation; and detailed discussions were held according to each country’s environmental policy priorities, such as resource circulation and water management.

The Ministry of Environment plans to develop the meeting into a regular consultative body that also discusses agenda items for each country.

In particular, the Ministry of Environment shared the event plan for ‘World Environment Day (June 5)’, which was hosted in Korea for the first time in 28 years since 1997, and requested support and participation from ministers of partner countries.

This year’s World Environment Day event will be held from June 4 to 13 in Jeju Island and Seoul under the theme of ‘Ending Plastic Pollution’ and the purpose of ‘Common Challenge, Everyone’s Action’ to solve the common problem of plastic pollution together.

A 'Ministerial Roundtable' will be held with the participation of ministers from partner countries, and about 20 side events will be included, including environmental policy and technology/academic discussions.

Minister Kim said, "In order to respond to the environmental crisis, joint cooperation with the international community is even more necessary," and added, "We will strengthen the global network on the occasion of World Environment Day in June and take the lead in discussions and cooperation in the international community."