5th SINGG Policy Forum Takes Place in Muju

Some 150 experts participate in the forum co-sponsored by MOE, UNESCAP and UNPOG

About 150 experts from the Asia-Pacific region assembled for the 5th Policy Consultation Forum of the Seoul Initiative Network on Green Growth held in Muju, Jeollabuk-do, from July 5-7.
Under the theme “City Development for Green Growth,” the forum was co-hosted by the Ministry of Environment (MOE), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and the United Nations Project Office on Governance (UNPOG). The participants were from 27 governments in the Asia-Pacific region, seven international organizations including the World Bank, NGOs, academia and industry.
The forum is based on the “Seoul Initiative on Green Growth,” which was adopted as an environmental cooperation program of the Asia-Pacific region at the 5th Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development in Asia and the Pacific (MCED) in March 2005.
The Seoul Initiative is aimed at addressing major policy issues for Green Growth highlighted in the Ministerial Declaration of the MCED 2005 and the Regional Implementation Plan for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific, 2006-2010. The Seoul Initiative provides a regional cooperation framework for Green Growth taking into account the economic, social, cultural and geographical features of the region. It also provides a framework for policy consultations, capacity building and networking for the promotion of Green Growth at the regional level.
The Seoul Initiative Network on Green Growth (SINGG), with countries in the Asia-Pacific region as its members, facilitates the implementation of the Seoul Initiative and its activities to create a synergy between economic growth and environmental sustainability and to contribute to achieving an economically vibrant and environmentally sustainable future for Asia and the Pacific.
The 5th SINGG Policy Forum served as an opportunity to exchange participating nations’ experiences and strategies on green city development so as to promote the development of sustainable green growth while adapting to climate change.
Beginning with an opening address by Chung Rae-kwon, director of the Environment and Sustainable Development Division at UNESCAP, the forum was composed of the following five sessions: Climate Change and City Development; Sustainable City Adaptation Strategies; Green Infrastructure for Climate Change; Governance Strategies for Pro-environmental Urban Policies in Developing Countries; and Experience Sharing on Practices in Green City Development.
In addition, the 3rd meeting of the Seoul Initiative Network on Green Growth was held to review the performance by the SI for the past five years and suggest the adoption of a resolution for the extension of SINGG for the next five years.
An MOE official said the forum was significant in that it was a systematic and concrete discussion on sustainable green city development in the Asia-Pacific region, which has high potential for economic growth.
In particular, the regional preparatory meeting (RPM) for the 6th Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development in Asia and the Pacific (MCED) was held from July 8 to 9. nw

(from left) Korean Minister of Environment Lee Maanee. (top, right) Minister Lee delivers a speech at the 5th Policy Consultation Forum of the Seoul Initiative Network on Green Growth on July 5. About 150 experts from the Asia-Pacific region attended the session in Muju, Jeollabuk-do from July 5-7.