The Republic of Korea and ECLAC Sign Agreements that Deepen Bilateral Cooperation with a View to Fulfilling the 2030 Agenda

The government of the Republic of Korea and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) strengthened their relationship of strategic cooperation upon signing two programs that bolster trade between Asia and the Latin American and Caribbean region, with an emphasis on fulfilling the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The agreements were penned by the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea in Chile, In-gyun Chung, and the regional organization’s Executive Secretary, Alicia Bárcena, during a meeting held at ECLAC’s headquarters in Santiago, Chile.

At the meeting, Ambassador In-gyun Chung highlighted the work that ECLAC does and expressed his intention of prolonging and expanding bilateral strategic cooperation, oriented toward the needs of Latin American and Caribbean countries.

The senior United Nations official, meanwhile, stated that it is highly important for the region to continue exchanging experiences with the Republic of Korea, “a country that managed to escape the Middle Income trap through investment in science, technology and innovation.”

“The region’s countries are facing similar dilemmas, which is why sharing experiences is very relevant,” Alicia Bárcena indicated.

The first agreement signed today is a 2017-2019 program that addresses the sustainable development of exports and the strengthening of the Asia Pacific–Latin America Observatory.

This is the first multi-year program signed by ECLAC and the Republic of Korea, and it will allow for consolidating bilateral cooperation and planning actions over a longer term.

The second agreement is an annual program for 2017 that includes, as a priority, the holding of the international seminar “Urban development, public leadership and open government. Strengthening capacities for inclusive and sustainable cities.”

The Republic of Korea became a member State of ECLAC on July 23, 2007.

Finally, both officials also addressed the eighth meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Forum for East Asia–Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC), scheduled for late August in the Korean city of Busan.

Both ECLAC and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), another United Nations body, support the work of FEALAC, which was established in 1999 and brings together 16 Asian countries and 20 Latin American ones.