열린장관실

Welcoming Speech by H.E. Mr. KIM Sung-Hwan,
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Republic of Korea
at the Opening Ceremony of the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid
Effectiveness, 30 November 2011

Excellencies,
Heads of delegations,
Members of the Parliament,
Representatives from civil society organizations and the private sector,
Distinguished Participants,

I would like to begin by extending a warm welcome to all of you, on behalf of the Korean Government, to the city of Busan and to the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness (HLF-4). 

In particular, I would like to express my deep appreciation to the array of dignitaries we are honored to have here with us this morning. I believe that your presence here does indeed serve as a clear demonstration of the importance of the task we are undertaking here. 

I take this opportunity also to express my sincere gratitude to the Secretariat of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), for the dedication and professionalism they have shown throughout the preparations of this meaningful event.  

Distinguished Guests,

Today we have here more than one hundred Ministers, around 40 heads of international organizations, around 90 parliamentarians, 300 partners from civil society organizations, over 100 representatives from the private sector and academia–all united by the same aspiration for poverty reduction and sustainable development.

This unprecedented high level of participation and diversity is something to be celebrated, particularly for the host country. And yet, it also reflects the gravity of our shared responsibility to take tangible steps forward in making development happen. Today we are all tasked with responding to the increasing call for more effectiveness, accountability and, most importantly, results in our efforts.  

Honorable Participants, 

The Busan Forum represents another turning point in our collective journey towards achieving the UN MDGs and seeking strong, sustainable and balanced growth. If we are to truly succeed, we need to renew our commitment to making aid more effective and at the same time, broaden our perspective and partnerships in addressing the broader issue of development. It is why it is so important that we work together in the pursuit of shared goals, learn from each other, and embrace new actors and ways of thinking.

Distinguished Guests,

Development cooperation is our investment for a shared future. The beneficiaries are not only the people of developing countries, but all members of the global community. This is a message that we should send out loud and clear. I hope that a forward- looking spirit and openness will prevail in our discussions and I wish you all every success in your deliberations.

Thank you very much.