- Discussion to focus on establishing governance and digital transformation to fulfill UN Sustainable Development Goals –

Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor: Yoo Jeong-bok) announced that it hosted the 2023 Regional Symposium at Songdo Convensia from October 17 (Tue) to October 19 (Thu).

<UN Project Office on Governance (UNPOG) 7th Regional Symposium>

The event invited more than 1,500 public administrators, public officials, and academics from 46 countries across the Asia-Pacific and East Africa, and also officials from the United Nations. Available both online and in-person, the Symposium featured special sessions, plenary sessions, youth forums, and regional governance forums. 

This year’s Regional Symposium focused on “Leveraging Public Governance to Accelerate the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals – Transformation, Innovation & Inclusion.” Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok and Minister of Public Administration and Security Lee Sang-min each gave their welcome speeches to open the event, and Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon delivered the keynote speech.

The Symposium looked back on items discussed during last September’s 2023 SDG Summit. Various breakout sessions explored new ways to build more effective governance systems and achieve real digital transformation and innovation led by local governments across the Asia-Pacific. 

Meanwhile, the Symposium was first convened by the UN and a group of public administrators in the Asia-Pacific in 2017 to discuss strategies for accelerating the implementation of UN SDGs*.

* Sustainable Development Goals: SDGs are designed to replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) proposed by the United Nations (UN). These new goals represent the ultimate target for the UN as well as the international community at large, and will stay in place between 2016 to 2030.

UN SDGs include a total of 17 universal goals, including “no poverty,” “good health and well-being,” “reduced inequalities,” “responsible consumption and production,” “decent work and economic growth,” “climate action,” and “partnerships for the goals.” 

Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok said, “Sustainable development is a non-negotiable object for humanity, and in order to maintain robust economic growth despite our limited resources, all stakeholders, including national governments and corporations, have to work together.” “Given how Incheon City declared its vision to become carbon neutral by 2045, which is five years ahead of Korea’s national greenhouse gas reduction plan, we will do our best for the sustainable development of our communities.”

Meanwhile, the Symposium was co-hosted by the Incheon Metropolitan City Government, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the UN Project Office on Governance (UNPOG), and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

UN SDGs replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (2000-2015) as the ultimate objective for the UN and global community from 2016 to 2030.