Suwon City Wins Bid to Host 'Asia-Pacific Environmental Ministers Forum', Beating Busan and Incheon

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] Suwon City has won the bid to host the 'Fourth Asia-Pacific Environmental Ministers Forum', which will be attended by 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 Fourth Asia-Pacific Environmental Ministers Forum to be held next year." The Asia-Pacific Environmental Ministers Forum is a regional preparatory conference for the UN Environment Assembly, which is hosted by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). Approximately 500 representatives from 41 Asia-Pacific governments, international organizations, and civil society groups will discuss environmental issues.

The Environmental Ministers Forum will be held at Suwon Convention Center. The city expects that the forum will be an opportunity to showcase Suwon's environmental policies and accomplishments to the world. The city plans to establish a citizen participation preparatory body.

When Suwon City first entered the bidding for the Environmental Ministers Forum, the prospects of hosting appeared slim. The competing cities were Busan and Incheon, South Korea's second and third largest cities, which had extensive experience hosting international conferences. Suwon City was also assessed to have relatively insufficient international conference infrastructure and accessibility. When the Ministry of Environment's inspection team visited in August, Suwon Convention Center had been in operation for only five months. Infrastructure construction projects around the center were in full swing.

The city emphasized its abundant cultural and environmental infrastructure, excellent innovative environmental policy cases, and the strong determination of its municipal leader to attract the forum. Mayor Yeom Tae-young of Suwon City personally appeared as a presenter in the second presentation evaluation on the 10th. Professor Ick Jong Lee of Ajou University Hospital and Police Chief Park Hyung-gil of Suwon Southern Police Station also supported the bidding effort.

Mayor Yeom Tae-young stated, "The successful attraction of the Asia-Pacific Environmental Ministers Forum is thanks to the active support and cooperation of our citizens. We will make this an opportunity to elevate Suwon's international capabilities and potential to the next level." He further pledged, "We will join forces with the Ministry of Environment and citizens to prepare for the forum without any hitches, befitting Suwon's status as an environmental capital."