Seogwipo City , Korea, 30 Oct 04

Seogwipo City begins implementation of its vision as an Ecocity and signs a Letter of Intent with UN-HABITAT to adopt the EPM approach in managing urban development.

On 29- 30 th October 2004 , the Seogwipo City Government (SCG), located on the beautiful island of Jeju in the southern part of Korea , co-hosted the “International Forum on Vision and Strategy of an Ecocity”. A key outcome of the Forum, adopted by the city government, was the ‘Seogwipo Declaration on Ecocity Development 2004', promoting the development of cities as culturally rich, economically integrated and environmentally sustainable places to live.

Seeking to actualize this vision the Seogwipo City government signed a ‘Letter of Intent' with UN-HABITAT and UNDP on 1 November 2004 . The intention is that the joint UN-HABITAT/UNEP ‘Sustainable Cities Programme' (SCP) will provide technical cooperation and support to the city by introducing the urban environmental planning & management (EPM) approach. Seogwipo will apply the EPM/SCP process in order to improve compilation and management of environmental information, identification of concerned stakeholders, and to put in place consultative processes, environmental strategies and action planning. The city government wishes to introduce and make routine such broad-based participatory practices. The SCP support to the city government will have a strong capacity building thrust to ensure efficient and equitably management of the city's environmental resources.

It is intended that Seogwipo, with the institutional support of Seoul National University and national environmental organizations, will take the lead in promoting a nationally developed Ecocity concept and network. As part of an international programme and global network, the Republic of Korea will learn from and share with other cities - both local and regional - the application of the SCP process in managing their urban areas in an environmentally sustainable way.