KFS Holds Briefing for Ambassadors to Korea to Drum up Support
Korea Forest Service held a briefing on July 21 for ambassadors of relevant nations to Korea to drum up support for the Asian Forest Cooperation Organization (AFoCO), which was established under the leadership of the Korean government, in expanding its international activities to respond to global forestry issues.
AFoCO is an intergovernmental organization that was first envisioned in the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit in June 2009) and later established in order to enable the Asian region’s collective response to global forestry issues, including climate change and desertification, and to secure the Asian region’s leadership in the forestry sector.
The briefing was designed to attract the attention of the international community and call for its support for AFoCO’s efforts to obtain Observer status in the U.N. General Assembly and to be included in the OECD Development Assistance Committee’s (DAC) list of ODA-eligible international organizations.
A state or an organization that is granted observer status by the U.N. General Assembly through resolutions can, with limitations, be invited to participate in the works of the U.N. General Assembly.
The DAC is one of the three major committees of the OECD and consists of major ODA donors. It enables OECD member countries to engage in mutual cooperation, exchange information, and coordinate policies. Its decision-making process requires the member countries’ unanimous agreement.
The briefing was attended by officials from the Korea Forest Service, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delegates and ambassadors from most of AFoCO member states (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Timor Leste), donors of the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI) (France, Norway, Germany, and the Netherlands), and international organizations such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Bank Group.
The participants in the session shared a consensus that international cooperation is important to conserve the forest ecosystem of Asia, especially in the post-COVID-19 and climate change era, and affirmed their strong support for AFoCO’s future plans.
Obtaining observer status in the U.N. General Assembly and inclusion in the OECD DAC list of ODA-eligible international organizations would enable AFoCO to expand its global capacity by strengthening cooperation with the U.N. and other relevant international organizations and securing diverse sources of funding.
During the briefing session, the Korea Forest Service also shared the key takeaways of Korea’s successful reforestation experience and introduced the Peace Forest Initiative (PFI), which was first launched in the UNCCD COP 14, September 2019.
The initiative was proposed by South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and KFS to support afforestation and forest restoration projects in cross-border regions or regions with multiple ethnic groups.
Korea Forest Service said it will continue pursuing forestry cooperation projects of the New Southern Policy and New Northern Policy through AFoCO. KFS will also continue cooperating and supporting the international community to promote Korea’s excellent forestry policies.
Minister Park Chong-ho of KFS noted that “the COVID-19 pandemic calls for strengthened global solidarity and cooperation,” and requested the AFoCO members and relevant countries’ “undivided attention and unwavering support for KFS and AFoCO’s efforts.”