Yeoncheon-gun Successfully Concludes 'UNESCO Multi-Designated Sites Future Generations International Symposium'

Yeoncheon-gun, Gyeonggi Province, announced on the 13th that it successfully held the "International Symposium for the Future Generations of Yeoncheon, a UNESCO Multi-Designated Area" on the 8th at the auditorium on the 3rd floor of the Comprehensive Welfare Center.

Yeoncheon-gun is taking a commemorative photo after completing the "International Symposium for the Future Generations of Yeoncheon, a UNESCO Multiple Designation Area" at the auditorium on the 3rd floor of the Comprehensive Welfare Center on the 8th. Provided by Yeoncheon-gun

This symposium was organized under the theme of "Future Generations" to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the designation of the Imjingang River in Yeoncheon as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and the re-designation of the Hantangang River as a UNESCO Global Geopark. To this end, Yeoncheon-gun collaborated with Gyeonggi Province, ICLEI Korea Office, the Korean National Commission for UNESCO, the Korean MAB Committee, the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) Secretariat, and Saewa Saengmyeong-ui Teo.

About 70 people attended, including Kim Deok-hyun, Mayor of Yeoncheon-gun; Kim Mi-kyung, Chairperson of Yeoncheon County Council; Han Kyung-gu, Secretary-General of the Korean National Commission for UNESCO; Jo Do-sun, Director of the National Institute of Ecology and Co-Chair of the Korean MAB Committee; Lee Sang-ho, Superintendent of Yeoncheon Office of Education, Gyeonggi Province; and operating committee members from China, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia of the Northeast Asian Biosphere Reserve Network, as well as representatives from educational and research institutions and local residents. Due to the attendance of international organizations and network officials, the symposium was conducted with simultaneous Korean-English interpretation.

The event began with a choir performance by Yeoncheon Elementary School, the only UNESCO school in Yeoncheon-gun. Keynote speeches were delivered on the topics of "UNESCO Designated Areas and Sustainable Development" and "Sustainable Development and Nature-Based Cities" by Hans Tulstrup, Director of the UNESCO Ecology and Earth Sciences Department, and Ingrid Kutsch, Director of the ICLEI Urban Biodiversity Center, respectively.

Following the keynote speeches, case presentations were given on the management of Yeoncheon-gun’s UNESCO multi-designated areas, the Elbe River Landscape Biosphere Reserve in Germany, and sustainable development education related to Hakusan Tedorigawa Global Geopark and Biosphere Reserve. Finally, a talk show was held, moderated by Park Yeon-hee, Director of the ICLEI Korea Office, featuring the keynote speakers and presenters, Dr. Park Sang-yong from the Gangwon Research Institute who conducted research on the Gangwon Ecological Peace Biosphere Reserve, Jeong Seo-hee, a youth leader of the Biosphere Reserve, Son Eun-gi, a youth activist from Yeoncheon, Esther Han, a cultural activist for people with developmental disabilities from Eum Mate, and the audience.

During the event, a certificate presentation ceremony was held for Jennifer George, representative of the EAAFP Secretariat, in recognition of the registration of the "Yeoncheon Imjingang East Asian-Australasian Flyway Network Partnership," which was promoted to preserve Yeoncheon-gun’s natural environment for the most important future generations in sustainable development.

On the following day, the 9th, a familiarization tour of Yeoncheon’s UNESCO multi-designated areas was conducted for key domestic and international stakeholders. The tour included visits to major sites of the Biosphere Reserve and Global Geopark, as well as the newly registered Yeoncheon Imjingang Flyway, where participants observed cranes and hooded cranes.

UNESCO, ICLEI, and EAAFP officials who attended the symposium and familiarization tour commented, "The projects Yeoncheon-gun is promoting through its UNESCO multi-designated areas are very impressive, and we look forward to the future." Mayor Kim Deok-hyun of Yeoncheon-gun responded, "We will actively promote efforts so that Yeoncheon-gun can continue to take the lead in managing UNESCO multi-designated areas."

A Yeoncheon-gun official stated, "Through this symposium, we were able to share Yeoncheon-gun’s management cases of UNESCO multi-designated areas domestically and internationally. We will actively pursue sustainable development education projects for future generations by incorporating opinions from domestic and international experts and youth, along with overseas cases."