I am here to congratulate the 10th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.

President Lee Myung-bak was not able to join us here today, but he was very delighted that the UNCCD is held in South Korea this year.

The president has a high concern about the universal desertification problem. He also has made frequent visits to regions that are suffering from serious level of desertification, including Africa and Mongolia.

Due to his busy schedules with other political agendas, President Lee sent his apologies for not being able to be here and share the vision for green growth with you.

I would also like to thank the UNCCD Executive Secretary Luc Gnacadja and the governor of South Gyeongsang Province Kim Du-kwan for their endless effort in preparing for the forum. Also, I highly appreciate the U.N. General Assembly President Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser for coming to South Korea as a representative of the U.N. General Assembly.

We gathered here today to discuss the worsening situation of DLDD (drought, land degradation and desertification).

The year 2006 was declared the “International Year of Deserts and Desertification” by the U.N. in 2006. It also named the ten years between 2010 and 2020, the “UN Decade for Deserts and the Fight against Desertification.”

Despite the international society’s effort to ease such problems, 12 million hectares of land, a size larger than South Korea, is being degraded every year.

About 42 percent of land in unprivileged regions is being neglected. Without solving the mentioned threatening issues, we cannot deal with antipoverty issues, including the U.N.’s Millennium Development Goals.

Land is not only a home but an asset for us and the next generation. We need to stop the thoughtless land development.

By changing the paradigm towards land and pushing the SLP (sustainable land development), let’s give a life to the desolated land.

To utilize the limited water resources efficiently, we need to expand water supply facilities and plant trees in ruined areas. Such minimal efforts will bring about a big change in fighting desertification and poverty.

Korea has a deep understanding of developing nations due to its historical background. We will put more weight on Green Official Development Assistance to prevent desertification and land degradation in developing countries.

By forming green growth partnership on dry lands with the UNCCD and UN Environmental Program, we will take part in promoting the life of people. Planting trees in deserted lands in Africa, coping with climate changes and making green jobs will be those.

Also, to deal with the yellow dust problem efficiently, we will form a DDLD Network, which avert desertification in Northeast Asia. Korea will share its experiences and technology in green growth with the neighboring countries.

Ecosystemic development, referring to the sustainable development, will be another goal for us.

In this year’s UNCCD COP 10, we are to discuss the newly-introduced Changwon Initiative. Changwon Initiative is a series of agendas that sets specific goals and corporate and government measures to prevent worsening desertification.

Through the initiative, we plan to join the move to prepare for sustainable land management.

By Kim Hwang-sik, Prime minister, Republic of Korea

(Unofficial translation)