1. The Republic of Korea was elected as the chair country of the Multilateral Organisation Performance Assessment Network (MOPAN) for the year 2016 at the meeting of the body’s Steering Committee, which was under way in Paris, France, on February 4 and 5.

◦ MOPAN is the only network of the official development assistance (ODA) donor countries for assessment of multilateral organizations. Since its establishment in 2002, the body has provided to ODA donor countries credible information on the effectiveness and responsibilities of multilateral organizations.

◦ Most ODA donor countries use MOPAN’s assessments as their main criteria in making decisions regarding multilateral assistance. Amid the recent increase in multilateral ODA, -- which currently stands at some 30% of the ODA total -- the significance of MOPAN’s assessments of multilateral organizations is gradually growing.

2. The election of the ROK as MOPAN’s chair was made possible by strong recommendations from its chairs for 2014 and 2015, France and the US, in recognition of the ROK government’s significant contributions as an agenda setter on international development cooperation, as demonstrated by its leadership in the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation, also known as the Busan Global Partnership.

3. MOPAN consists of 19 member countries. The ROK became its first Asian member in 2008, with Japan joining the body in 2014.

4. The ROK’s planned service as the MOPAN chair carries extraordinary significance as it is the first Asian and emerging donor country to work as such. The ROK, when in service, is expected to see its international standing enhanced as an advanced and exemplary donor country and its influence expanded on multilateral development organizations.

5. MOPAN is operated through cooperation among the chair countries of the current year and the years before and after it. The ROK, the chair country for 2016, will start working at MOPAN in 2015 together with the chair countries of 2014 and 2015. In 2016, as MOPAN chair, the ROK will oversee the assessment process on international organizations, including by setting the body’s policy direction and determining which organizations to assess. 


               Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA

* unofficial translation