Discussion on 5 Core Agendas and Peace Practice Measures
[Asia Economy Reporter La Young-chul] The '2021 PyeongChang Peace Forum (PPF)' will be held as a hybrid online and offline event for three days from the 7th to the 9th at the Alpensia Convention Center in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, marking the third anniversary of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
The PyeongChang Peace Forum, now in its third year, is a global platform where world leaders and peace experts discuss world peace in Gangwon Province, the only divided province in the world.
Gangwon Province announced on the 2nd, "This year, under the slogan 'Peace! Here and Now,' we plan to discuss new challenges and opportunities for peace on the Korean Peninsula and globally amid the COVID-19 crisis."
The PyeongChang Peace Forum consists of the opening and closing ceremonies, plenary and concurrent sessions, special sessions, talk concerts, special performances, and various side events.
The five core agendas are economy, sports, DMZ peace zone, UN SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), and public diplomacy. The '2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympic Games,' which is three years away, will be addressed as a special agenda.
Prior to the main event, on the 6th, a high-level pre-meeting titled 'Korea-US Leaders Peace Strategy Dialogue' will be held with current and former lawmakers from Korea and the United States to discuss diplomatic and security conditions and the future for easing tensions and establishing peace in Northeast Asia under the theme 'Peace Strategy for the Korean Peninsula.'
On the 7th, at the opening ceremony marking the start of the forum, Thomas Bach, IOC President, will deliver a peace message, and Jim Rogers, co-chairman of the forum, will participate via real-time hologram to present a blueprint for a new peace deal on the Korean Peninsula.
On the 8th and 9th, the five core agendas will be discussed in earnest. The keynote sessions will include David Beasley, Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize laureate organization, and Muhammad Yunus, 2006 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and founder of Grameen Bank.
In the economic session, the resumption of tourism in Mount Kumgang, seen as a breakthrough in the deadlocked inter-Korean relations, will be analyzed from an international perspective. The sports session will address the significance and challenges of the 2024 Gangwon Games scheduled for January 2024, focusing on the role and perspectives of sports for peace and sustainable development.
In the DMZ peace zone session, under the theme 'New Climate Peace Regime and the DMZ as the Key to the Future of the Korean Peninsula,' discussions will focus on the challenges of creating permanent governance for the DMZ and exploring ways to develop Gangwon Province’s Goseong County as a joint peace and tourism zone.
In the SDGs (UN Sustainable Development Goals) session, which discusses national tasks for world peace beyond the Korean Peninsula, the forum plans to present goals for 'Future Peace Vision 2045 (UN 100th anniversary)' along with a comprehensive evaluation of the UN75 anniversary by linking civil society and peace.
In the field of public diplomacy, practical discussions will be held to strengthen a peace-focused public diplomacy network centered on Gangwon Province, with the theme of promoting peace through energy cooperation in conflict areas.
In addition to the regular forum, various side events have been prepared for youth and the general public to share the meaning of peace. A DMZ online tour will be conducted on the forum’s official website and YouTube channel, providing stories of peace in the DMZ and new, little-known information.
As Gangwon Province has opened the possibility of joint North-South hosting by securing the 2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympic Games, it is expected that the PyeongChang Peace Forum, as a legacy project of the PyeongChang Olympics, will play a pivotal role in spreading the value of peace promotion through sports and gaining international support.
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