Jeju, 1st Northeast Asian Host of World Conservation Congress

Environment Vice Minster Yoon explains his ministry's 2012 major policy tasks

About 1,000 environment experts from around the world will assemble at the International Convention Center (ICC) Jeju from Sept. 6-15 to participate in the 2012 World Conservation Congress (WCC), the most influential event addressing environmental issues on the globe, Environment Vice Minister Yoon Jong-soo said.
The event takes place every four years and is organized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the only international environment union with permanent official observer status at the United Nations General Assembly.
The 2012 World Conservation Congress will be held under the slogan, "Nature+," which indicates the potential inclusion of various environment-related issues among the main topic of nature.
The congress will be composed of workshops, knowledge cafes, a members' assembly, and diverse exhibitions and performance events. The 2012 World Conservation Congress will also coincide with side events such as the World Leaders' Dialogue, the first such meeting of environment leaders and experts on the future direction of the environment field, being organized by the Organizing Committee of the 2012 World Conservation Congress, IUCN, and the World Protected Areas Leadership Forum.
The 2012 World Conservation Congress is to adopt the so-called Jeju Declaration, which will sum up the outcomes of the upcoming meeting for the first time since its inception and call for the establishment of the Jeju Environment Leaders Forum to flesh them out.
In a meeting with members of the Seoul Foreign Correspondents' Club in downtown Seoul, on Feb. 8, Vice Minister Yoon spoke of these and other major tasks the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) plans to implement during this year.
Regarding the ministry's 2012 policies to promote international cooperation, Yoon said, Korea wants to emerge as a global leader of the green economy by proactively participating in the upcoming Rio+20, which will take place in Brazil from June 20-22 to mark the 10th anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, and spreading Korea's green growth paradigm.
The Korean government plans to establish negotiation strategies for the Post-2012 Climate Change Framework and the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem after collecting views from Korea and abroad.
As part of efforts to beef up cooperation with international organizations, Korea is to participate in the 12th Special Session of the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum of the United Nations Environment Program, to be held at the United Nations Office in Nairobi, Kenya, from Feb. 20-22 and present Korea's green growth polices and achievements.
Korea plans to forge a strategic alliance with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to ensure the development of green growth. Korean Environment Minister Yoo Young-sook will chair the 2012 OECD Environment Ministerial Meeting, to be held on Dec. 3 in Paris.
Korea will continue to promote collaboration in the environment field with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission on Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) by upgrading green growth models through the implementation of the second phase of the Seoul Initiative on Environmentally Sustainable Economic Growth.

'MOE'S ENVIRONMENT POLICIES FOR PEOPLE'
The ministry plans to implement policies tailored to meet the interests of all and to get closer to the people, as well as to spread the achievements of the green growth paradigm to all segments of society.
The ministry plans to expand environment and health services tailored to meet the needs of sensitive strata. It will step up safety management against substances considered harmful to children while striving to manage harmful substances in indoor environments and prevent the occurrence of atopy and other environment-related diseases.
The ministry strives to take the lead in making the Republic of Korea a green power in coping with climate change. Korea ranked ninth in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. In particular, Korea sees its greenhouse gas emissions rising at a faster pace than its economic development rate, so the nation needs to proactively make efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To this end, the MOE plans to put into practice greenhouse gas emission reduction steps in industry, the public sector, living spaces, and automobile categories during 2012.
Korea's responses to climate change will result in the outcome of green growth. The MOE will strive to advance the development of environmental technology to the standards of advanced countries.
The ministry also plans to make is fullest efforts to enhance the value of the national territory and ecosystems. nw

Environment Vice Minister Yoon Jong-soo explains his ministry 's policies at a meeting with members of the Seoul Foreign Correspondents' Club.