Gangwon Province Wins 'UN-Habitat Special Citation' for Contributions to Settlement Environment Improvement in Developing Countries

Global Recognition for Improving Settlement Environments in Asia-Pacific
Through International Training Programs

Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Kim Jin-tae) has been awarded the '2025 UN-Habitat Award Special Citation' in recognition of its significant contributions to improving settlement environments in the Asia-Pacific region through international training programs for developing countries.

The 'UN-Habitat Award' is the most prestigious honor in the field of human settlements, presented annually by UN-Habitat (the United Nations Human Settlements Programme), a UN-affiliated organization, to individuals, institutions, and groups that have achieved outstanding results in sustainable urban development and the improvement of settlement environments.

The Special Citation Award received by Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province this year is an irregularly awarded honor, given for exceptional achievements or ongoing projects.

In 2006, the province signed an agreement with UN-Habitat and established the 'International Urban Training Center,' which remains the only UN-Habitat international training institution operated by a local government worldwide. Since 2007, the center has produced 3,950 trainees from 61 countries.

In particular, through the International Urban Training Center, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province has actively shared its policies and success stories in various fields such as urban development and climate change response, while promoting international exchange.

The province's efforts to enhance the capacity for sustainable urban development in developing countries have been recognized as aligning with the core values and direction pursued by UN-Habitat, leading to this award.

The award ceremony was held on October 6, World Habitat Day, at the UN-Habitat headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.

In a video message, Governor Kim Jin-tae stated, "Since 2007, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province has consistently shared its diverse know-how for urban development and settlement environment improvement with the international community through training programs. I would like to share this moment of honor with the 3,950 alumni from 61 countries." He concluded by saying in English, "For a better future for all of us, we will keep making further efforts. Thank you."

Meanwhile, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province plans to use this award as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation with UN-Habitat and diversify its educational programs, further expanding its role as a hub for global urban development.

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