Designating a Specialized Institution for International Development Cooperation in Marine and Fisheries Within This Year

Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Announces Administrative Notice on the Establishment of 'Regulations on Designation and Operation of Specialized Institutions for International Development Cooperation in Marine and Fisheries'

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on the 10th that it has prepared a draft regulation titled 'Regulations on Designation and Operation of Specialized Institutions for International Development Cooperation (ODA) in Marine and Fisheries' to systematically promote ODA tasks in the marine and fisheries sector, and will hold an administrative notice period until the 31st.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries is implementing a total of 23 ODA projects to facilitate the smooth implementation of the New Southern Policy and strengthen marine and fisheries cooperation with coastal countries, including establishing a fisheries resource management model in Vietnam, improving marine waste management in Indonesia, and expanding research capabilities for marine forecasting systems in Colombia. However, there has been difficulty in discovering new projects and systematically promoting related tasks due to the absence of a specialized institution managing these projects.

Accordingly, in August 2019, the Ministry amended the 'Framework Act on Marine and Fisheries Development' to establish a legal basis for designating specialized institutions for ODA projects. This draft regulation aims to stipulate the detailed matters delegated by this law.

According to the draft, specialized institutions for marine and fisheries ODA will perform tasks such as discovering and managing various ODA projects, evaluation, building databases, and promotion. Institutions wishing to be designated as specialized institutions must submit an application form along with a business plan and current status of personnel to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. The Ministry will form an evaluation committee to review the submitted business plans and designate one specialized institution. The designation period for the specialized institution is three years, and based on the evaluation of project performance and achievements over the three years, the designation period can be extended up to two additional years.

The draft regulation can be viewed on the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries website, and the Ministry plans to designate the specialized institution within this year after the notice is finalized.

Seo Jeong-ho, Director General of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, said, "Once a specialized institution for marine and fisheries ODA is designated, it will not only discover new projects and systematically promote tasks but also accumulate experience and know-how from project implementation, which is expected to strengthen the implementation of the New Southern Policy and international marine and fisheries cooperation with coastal countries."

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