New UN Office for Sustainable Development

The UN launched the Office for Sustainable Development (UN/OSD) at a ceremony on 19 October 2011, in Seoul (Korea). It is a joint project of the UN, the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Environment, Yonsei University, and the City of Incheon and will be managed by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and housed at Yonsei University. The goal of the new Office is to improve and accelerate implementation of sustainable development worldwide, to support developing countries’ preparations for UNCSD (Rio+20) and subsequently to advance implementation of the outcomes of Rio+20.
UN Press Release

Korea-Pacific Islands: 1st Foreign Minister' Meeting

The 1st Korea-Pacific Islands Foreign Ministers’ Meeting convened under the theme, "Vision and Action: Cooperation Across the Ocean," to discuss ways for the Republic of Korea to expand development cooperation to Pacific Island Countries (PICs), as well as how the participating countries can work together in addressing climate change. It concluded with the adoption of a joint statement comprising major achievements of the meeting.

Press Release and Joint Statement

Establishment of UN Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD)

An agreement was recently signed between the UN and the Republic of Korea to establish a new research and training facility. UNOSD will serve as a training and resource facility for developing countries on sustainable development, including in the preparations for the forthcoming Rio+20 Conference. It will organize training programmes and expert conferences, collaborate with a network of training institutions in developing countries, and undertake policy research on the progress and gaps in the achievement of sustainable development goals.

UNOSD will be housed in Yonsei University in the City of Inchon.  It will begin operations in April 2011 with a launch conference and expert meeting on the “Drivers, Risks, and Challenges in the Transition to a Green Economy”.