Korea Forest Service and Ethiopia Discuss Cooperation on First Pilot Project of the 'Peace Forest Initiative'

On the 30th (local time), Park Jong-ho, the Commissioner of the Korea Forest Service, discussed cooperation plans for the 'No. 1' Peace Forest Initiative pilot project with local forestry authorities in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Provided by the Korea Forest Service

He proposed joint participation and held a session to discuss cooperation measures between the two countries for this purpose.

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] The Korea Forest Service has designated Ethiopia as the first pilot site for the Peace Forest Initiative and is seeking ways to cooperate on the project between the two countries.

The Peace Forest Initiative is a global policy announced last September by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Korea Forest Service at the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Conference of the Parties. It is a program that supports forest creation and restoration in border areas between neighboring countries or multi-ethnic regions.

On the 30th (local time), Park Jong-ho, head of the Korea Forest Service, met with Pekadu Beene, Chairman of Ethiopia's Environment, Forest and Climate Change Commission, in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, to propose the promotion of the Peace Forest Initiative pilot project and joint participation in the P4G (Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030) Summit, and discussed cooperation measures between the two countries for this purpose.

The discussions focused on reviewing the project sites for the successful implementation of the pilot project, requesting cooperation and support from Ethiopian authorities, and Ethiopia's joint participation in the land-related session at the P4G Summit.

Currently, the Korea Forest Service plans to conduct the "No. 1 pilot project" of the Peace Forest Initiative in Ethiopia.

The pilot project centers on restoring forests in multi-ethnic conflict areas within Ethiopia and revitalizing agroforestry (activities combining forestry and agriculture). The budget will be covered by the P4G partnership fund, and the project will be promoted through a partnership between the Korea Forest Service, Ethiopian forestry authorities, NGOs, companies, the Global Green Growth Institute, and social ventures.

Preventing and improving land degradation through the pilot project is considered a suitable topic for the P4G session, given its significant impact on climate change and its strong relevance to sustainable growth.

Moreover, since the Peace Forest Initiative can help achieve P4G goals, implementing the first pilot project in cooperation with Ethiopia will serve as a stepping stone to spreading the Peace Forest Initiative as a global agenda, according to the Korea Forest Service.

In particular, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last December for resolving the border dispute with Eritrea, adds significance to the promotion of this pilot project. This aligns with the spirit of the Peace Forest Initiative and the symbolism of "peace" embodied by the Ethiopian Prime Minister. At the time of receiving the Nobel Prize, he emphasized that "creating peace is like planting and nurturing trees."

Park Jong-ho, head of the Korea Forest Service, said, "It is meaningful to have had serious discussions on mutual cooperation measures for the success of the first Peace Forest Initiative pilot project with Ethiopian forestry authorities and the adoption of the P4G partnership project," adding, "The Korea Forest Service will strive to successfully carry out the Peace Forest Initiative pilot project in Ethiopia so that related projects can spread worldwide and be adopted as a global agenda at the United Nations level."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.