Press Releases
National Assembly members attend Parliamentary Meeting on the Occasion of the 10th World Water Forum
- Jul 04, 2024
- 140
National Assembly members attend Parliamentary Meeting
on the Occasion of the 10th World Water Forum
- Held May 20-21 in Bali, Indonesia
- Korean delegation represented by National Assembly members Lee Soo-jin (delegation head, Democratic Party of
Korea), Jeon Yong-gi (Democratic Party of Korea), and Kim Hyung-dong (People Power Party)
- Discussion held on equitable and sustainable water policies
A delegation from the Republic of Korea’s National Assembly (Speaker Kim Jin-pyo) attended the “Parliamentary Meeting on the Occasion of the 10th World Water Forum” held May 20-21 in Bali, Indonesia.
The meeting is the official parliamentarians’ meeting held during the World Water Forum,* a gathering of parliamentarians from around the world to promote legislative activities aimed at addressing water security issues and strengthen inter-parliamentary cooperation and diplomacy to improve access to safe water. The Korean delegation comprised three National Assembly members: Lee Soo-jin (Democratic Party of Korea), Kim Hyung-dong (People Power Party), and Jeon Yong-gi (Democratic Party of Korea).
* The World Water Forum, co-hosted by the World Water Council and a designated host city, is the largest global gathering
in the water sector. The forum has been held every three years since 1997 with the intent to share knowledge, experience,
and practices regarding a broad range of water-related topics. The 10th forum was held from May 18 to 25.
(Note: the 7th meeting in 2015 was held in Daegu, Korea.)
At the meeting held under the theme of “Mobilizing Parliamentary Action on Water for Shared Prosperity,” the Korean delegation joined discussions and debates on topics such as: ▲ access to water and sanitation – obstacles to achieving sustainable development goals; ▲ innovative cases for inclusive and fair access to water; ▲water at the center of climate action; and ▲ water diplomacy and science for peace.
The delegation attended all of the Parliamentary Meeting sessions over two days, where they listened to presentations from different national delegations and panels. In their speeches, Members Lee Soo-jin and Jeon Yong-gi emphasized the importance of parliamentary action on water to achieve global security and prosperity.
During the session on ‘Access to water and sanitation – obstacles to achieving sustainable development’ on May 20, Lee stressed the universality and equity of water use. She introduced policies and projects implemented by the Republic of Korea to achieve sustainable development goals, such as official development assistance (ODA) projects aimed at solving water resources issues in Asia and Africa, and joint research projects on water security and solutions with international organizations such as UNESCO and the OECD. Addressing water issues is essential for ensuring basic human rights and economic prosperity, and Lee emphasized that the Republic of Korea’s National Assembly would remain committed to water issues.
During the session on water at the center of climate action held on May 2l, Jeon highlighted the inseparable relationship between water and climate change. He introduced Korean projects such as the “AI Smart Water Management System” for flood and drought response, the “Digital Twin Technology” using augmented reality to predict disaster-prone areas, and the “Smart Water Purification Plant Establishment Project” providing autonomous water purification plant operation during emergencies.
Jeon noted that the Republic of Korea has supported water management infrastructure systems based on its experience with these technologies to countries such as Ghana, Uzbekistan, Cambodia, and Indonesia. Underlining that water can be a solution to the climate crisis, he explained policies pursued by Korea such as creating eco-friendly hydrothermal energy clusters, developing and expanding floating solar power facilities. He called for parliamentary understanding of and interest in water management policies to maintain a stable water management system and expand decarbonized energy sources amid climate change, while taking action that prioritizes pending water issues.
The Korean delegation also participated in sideline meetings and events. On May 20, they met with the government delegation of the 10th World Water Forum to discuss ▲ the climate crisis and eco-friendly hydropower and decarbonization policies; and ▲ water quality and aquatic ecosystem improvement policies. The next day, they visited the Korea booth at the Expo to listen to explanations of water technologies and products exhibited by Korean companies.
The Republic of Korea’s National Assembly plans to continue partaking in the Parliamentary Meeting on the Occasion of the World Water Forum to introduce the country’s water-related legislation and policies and actively engage in international discussions and cooperation on establishing stable water management systems and expanding decarbonized hydropower sources.
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