‘Seoul ODA International Conference’ Designs Development Cooperation for Coming Generations - 17th Seoul ODA International Conference to be held under theme of 'Sustainable[...]

1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Minister: Cho Tae-yul) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (President: Chang Won Sam, hereinafter KOICA) will co-host the 17th Seoul ODA* International Conference on Wednesday, September 4, at Lotte Hotel (Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul).

* Official Development Assistance (ODA): Bilateral and multilateral development cooperation provided by governments or public institutions to promote economic development and social welfare in developing countries

2. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and KOICA have been organizing the Seoul ODA International Conference every year since 2007 as a forum for various members of the development cooperation community including governments, the private sector and academia, to discuss key issues and share knowledge and experience. This year's conference will be attended by international organizations such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), UN Women, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), as well as development agencies, academic institutions at home and abroad, and the diplomatic corps in Korea.

3. The opening ceremony will consist of an opening speech by KOICA President Chang Won Sam, a welcoming speech by Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Insun, and a keynote address by OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann. In addition, a celebratory performance by the 'Arumdri Choir,' made up of children from multicultural families, is expected to add meaning to the event for future generations.

4. The theme of the upcoming ODA International Conference is 'Sustainable Development Cooperation for Future Generations.' Session 1 will address the 'Development Cooperation Strategies and Policies for Future Generations' of the international community and Korea, while Session 2 will introduce the 'Innovative Models of International Development Cooperation for Future Generations' such as AI innovation, blended finance and climate finance. Finally, in Session 3, young people who have experienced development cooperation projects, as well as beneficiaries of development cooperation, will discuss 'Hopes and Challenges from the Perspective of Future Generations.'

5. "2024 is a year of quantitative transition as the Korean government expands its ODA budget to the largest ever* even under difficult financial conditions, and we look forward to this ODA International Conference as a meaningful opportunity to share our ODA policies to realize the vision of a Global Pivotal State with the international community and discuss the direction of sustainable development cooperation for future generations," said a policymaker at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

* The total ODA volume of the Korean government in '24 is approximately KRW6.3 trillion, up 31.1% from '23 (KRW4.8 trillion).

6. The 17th Seoul ODA International Conference will be streamed live on Wednesday, September 4, on KOICA's official YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/officialkoica), allowing anyone to watch it in real time, and sign language interpretation services will be provided in addition to simultaneous English and Korean interpretation. Those wishing to attend on-site need to register in advance through the website (www.koica.go.kr/sites/seouloda_kr/index.do).