1. The Foreign Ministry and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) will co-host the “Seoul Post-2015 Conference” on October 7 at Plaza Hotel in Seoul. Also, the Foreign Ministry and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) will co-host the “7th Seoul ODA Conference” on October 8 in the same venue.

2. The two events will be held under the themes “The Seoul Post-2015 Conference: Implementation and Implications” and “Post-2015 Development Framework and the Role of Official Development Assistance (ODA)” respectively. Participants will hold substantive discussions on a variety of issues, including: the current state of discussion on the post-2015 development agenda; implementation mechanisms and partnerships; suggestions on the implementation of the post-2015 development goals and challenges ahead; development resources to implement the MDGs and post-2015 goals and the role of ODA; and the ROK’s contribution to setting and implementing the post-2015 development goals.

o Second Vice Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul will deliver a keynote speech at the upcoming conference and presenters will include Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs of the Foreign Ministry Shin Dong-ik, President of KOICA Kim Young-mok, UNDP Associate Administrator Rebeca Grynspan (former Vice President of Costa Rica), British Ambassador to the ROK Scott Wightman, former Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General to Iraq Ad Melkert, government officials of developing and donor countries, UN officials, academics, foreign diplomats in the ROK and NGO officials.

3. At the conferences, the ROK government will lead discussions on the direction for the ROK’s ODA in the post-2015 framework and areas where the ROK can make contributions, as well as prepare for inter-governmental negotiations to shape the post-2015 development agenda.

o Concerning discussions on shaping the post-2015 development agenda, UN members agreed this year to hold a summit to define new global development goals on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in 2015. As such, inter-governmental negotiations in the UN will begin in earnest from September 2014.


                   Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA

*unofficial translation