International Conference Hosting and Overseas Business Expansion... Korea Forest Service Expands 'Inclusive Forest Cooperation'

Promotional poster for the 15th World Forestry Congress. Provided by the Korea Forest Service

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] The Korea Forest Service plans to expand its international relations of ‘inclusive forest cooperation’ with the global community by hosting international conferences in the forestry sector and expanding overseas projects this year.

According to the Korea Forest Service, the 15th World Forestry Congress will be held from May 2 to 6 at COEX in Seoul, hosted by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The World Forestry Congress, held every six years, is the largest international conference in the forestry sector, where forestry officials from around the world gather to share global forest and environmental issues and seek solutions.

In particular, the Seoul Forestry Congress is expected by the Korea Forest Service to serve as a catalyst to concretize and advance the implementation of the ‘Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use,’ announced at the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change held last November.

The Seoul Forestry Congress was originally scheduled for last year but was postponed once due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Regarding this, Choi Byung-am, Administrator of the Korea Forest Service, emphasized, “We plan to hold the postponed Forestry Congress this year. This plan reflects the expectation that the COVID-19 situation will improve by the upcoming May. Depending on the circumstances, the Korea Forest Service’s basic policy is to hold the Forestry Congress normally, even if it means using a hybrid format combining face-to-face and non-face-to-face (online) participation.”

As part of the Forestry Congress, the Korea Forest Service will hold events such as the ‘Peace Forest Initiative High-Level Roundtable’ and a ‘Forest Fire Forum’ to lay the foundation for participating countries to join efforts in responding to climate change. The goal is to foster a shared awareness to stop forest destruction that has been rampant worldwide and to overcome the climate crisis through forests.

Additionally, the strategy includes adopting a declaration covering key forestry issues such as achieving carbon neutrality through forest restoration and promoting forest conservation, thereby highlighting these as core issues for the international community.

Administrator Choi said, “The Forestry Congress will be an important opportunity to introduce Korea’s past forest greening process and future directions for forestry management, while spreading the achievements so far to the international community. The Korea Forest Service will make every effort to prepare thoroughly for the Forestry Congress over the remaining 100 days to utilize this opportunity effectively.”

This year, the Korea Forest Service will implement the expansion of inclusive forest cooperation by diversifying cooperating countries and projects in the forestry sector and contributing to national greenhouse gas reduction through the activation of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) projects.

As part of inter-Korean forest cooperation, the Korea Forest Service is preparing forestry cooperation projects such as modernizing nurseries and controlling forest pests and diseases in North Korea. In June, it plans to establish the ‘Cheorwon Inter-Korean Forest Cooperation Center,’ specialized in forest pest and disease cooperation, to prevent damage caused by forest pests and diseases crossing between South and North Korea.

Administrator Choi stated, “The Korea Forest Service will focus its institutional capabilities on strengthening the substance of forestry management domestically and expanding forest cooperation internationally within this year. Through this, we will ensure that domestic forestry achievements spread globally and serve as a model for the international community.”

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