Suwon Selected to Host '4th Asia-Pacific Environmental Ministers Forum' Over Busan and Incheon

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] Suwon City has won the bid to host the '4th Asia-Pacific Environmental Ministers Forum,' an event that will bring together environmental ministers from 41 countries, beating out Busan and Incheon Metropolitan City.

The Ministry of Environment announced on the 19th that "Suwon City has been selected as the host city for the 4th Asia-Pacific Environmental Ministers Forum to be held next year." The Asia-Pacific Environmental Ministers Forum is a regional preparatory meeting for the United Nations Environment Assembly, which is organized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Around 500 representatives from 41 governments in the Asia-Pacific region, international organizations, and private groups will discuss environmental issues.

The Environmental Ministers Forum will be held at Suwon Convention Center. The city expects the forum to serve as an opportunity to showcase Suwon's environmental policies and achievements to the world. The city plans to establish a citizen participation preparation committee.

When Suwon first entered the bidding race for the Environmental Ministers Forum, the chances of hosting seemed slim. The competing cities were Busan and Incheon, South Korea's second and third-largest cities with extensive experience hosting international conferences. There were also assessments that Suwon had relatively insufficient international conference infrastructure and accessibility. When an inspection team from the Ministry of Environment visited in August, Suwon Convention Center had been in operation for only five months. Infrastructure construction projects around the center were still underway.

Suwon presented abundant cultural and environmental infrastructure, exemplary cases of innovative environmental policies, and the strong determination of the city's leader to secure the event. Suwon Mayor Yim Tae-young personally took the stage as a speaker for the second presentation evaluation on the 10th. Lee Guk-jong, a professor at Ajou University Hospital, and Park Hyung-gil, chief of Suwon Southern Police Station, also contributed to the bidding effort.

Mayor Yim Tae-young said, "The successful bid to host the Asia-Pacific Environmental Ministers Forum is thanks to the active support and encouragement of our citizens. We will make this a turning point to elevate Suwon's international capabilities and potential to the next level." He added, "We will work together with the Ministry of Environment and citizens to prepare the forum without interruption, befitting Suwon's status as an environmental capital."