Korea Getting One Step Closer to Hosting the 4th UNOC

- Official announcement of the intention to host the next meeting at the 3rd UNOC…Trying to secure consensus from the international community

 The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) disclosed that Minister Kang Do-hyung attended the 3rd UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) held in Nice, France from Monday, June 9 to Friday, June 13 as the chief representative. UNOC is the largest, highest-level meeting in the ocean sector where UN member states, relevant international organizations, and NGOs gather to implement “Goal 14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development” of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

 At this UNOC, MOF officially announced to all UN member states the intention of Korea and Chile to co-host the 4th UNOC. MOF emphasized that the 4th UNOC is an important meeting held two years before 2030—the target year for achieving the UN SDGs—and disclosed that Korea is ready to contribute to the international community as the host country of this important meeting.

 Moreover, it held meetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chile as the prospective co-host of the 4th UNOC, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)—which is the secretariat of UNOC—to discuss substantive matters such as procedures for confirming the hosting of UNOC and matters of cooperation between Korea, Chile, and UN to solidify the foundation for hosting the 4th UNOC.

 In addition, MOF hosted a side event themed “International Cooperation for Sustainable Fisheries” to fulfill its role as a country hoping to host the next UNOC. Korea also co-hosted side events related to the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement and marine debris response measures with Chile and UN Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD), respectively, contributing to the successful hosting of the 3rd UNOC.

 The UN General Assembly will finalize the decision on the co-hosting countries of the 4th UNOC in December by adopting a resolution.

 “Participating in the 3rd UNOC was an important opportunity to promote Korea’s integrated ocean and fisheries administration policy internationally and solidify our intention to host the 4th UNOC. We will make every effort to ensure that the resolution designating Korea and Chile as co-hosts of the 4th UNOC is passed in the upcoming UN General Assembly,” Minister Kang Do-hyung said.