The National Biodiversity Institute announced on June 24 that it will hold a public hearing on June 25 at the COEX Conference Hall in Gangnam, Seoul, to discuss the achievements from the past year and future tasks related to the '5th National Biodiversity Strategy (2024-2028).'
This public hearing is being organized in response to the international community's shift to a common indicator system for evaluating biodiversity policy outcomes following the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).
South Korea has been implementing the 5th National Biodiversity Strategy since last year, which is set to run until 2028. This year marks the second year of the strategy's implementation, and the review of the first year's results will take place.
The National Biodiversity Strategy serves as the country's top-level plan for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use. As the international monitoring system strengthens, the importance of systematic evaluation and monitoring domestically is also increasing.
During the public hearing, the implementation status of 365 projects being carried out by 13 relevant ministries, including the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, will be shared along with the results of the second-year evaluation.
Notably, this year's evaluation will not only include a self-assessment by the government but also involve a cross-verification process by a 41-member evaluation team composed of representatives from central and local governments, civil society, youth representatives, and experts involved in the strategy's formulation, enhancing objectivity and reliability.
Biodiversity conservation is recognized as a key task for responding to the climate crisis and ensuring ecosystem resilience. The government plans to incorporate feedback from the public hearing to improve the implementation system of the National Biodiversity Strategy and enhance the effectiveness of policy initiatives.
The discussions and evaluation results from the public hearing will be reflected in the 2025 implementation report, which is scheduled for publication in December of this year.
Yoo Ho, Director of the National Biodiversity Institute, stated, "Restoring biodiversity is a task that requires participation not only from the government but also from local governments, civil society, and future generations. Through this public hearing, we aim to strengthen a practical implementation system that expands participation across society."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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