KOICA discusses regional ESG policies and ODA cooperation plans in Busan.

In Busan, a meeting was held to discuss ways to revitalize local governments' ODA and official development assistance.

The Korea International Cooperation Agency and KOICA announced today (the 19th) that they held the 9th Busan Development Cooperation Forum in BEXCO, Busan.

The theme of this forum is 'The Role of Glocal ODA in Sustainable ESG and the Environment'.

In particular, the forum mainly discussed local governments' strategies for promoting ODA in the environmental sector in connection with global issues in the climate crisis, especially with the hosting of the 5th Intergovernmental Negotiation Committee in Busan of the United Nations Convention on the Response of Plastic Pollution.

KOICA explained that they also discussed how to commercialize Glocal ODA at the local level in cooperation with the United Nations Environment Program.

Professor Kwak Jae-sung of Kyung Hee University gave a keynote lecture at the forum under the theme of "International Development Approach Strategy for Sustainable Urban Development."

In the special session that followed, Felipe Dal Orsoretta, a specialist at the International Environmental Technology Center for the United Nations Environment Program, and Kim Tae-gun, a senior researcher at the Green Technology Institute, presented proposals under the theme of "Cyclic Plastic Measures and the Role of Cities."

KOICA said the forum is significant in that it explores the city's sustainable international development cooperation direction linking ESG and the environment in Busan and discusses detailed strategies at the local government level.

KOICA has held an annual forum in partnership with the Busan Global Urban Foundation since 2016 to explore the direction of development to expand effective ODA participation in Busan and to create and develop an ecosystem for international development cooperation.