Seogwipo: An annual international peace forum will gather on South Korea's southern island of Jeju next month, aiming to explore cooperative strategies amid growing geopolitical challenges. All candidates vying for the role of the next U.N. secretary-general are expected to attend the event to present their visions, as reported by officials on Tuesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the 21st Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity is scheduled from June 24-26 in Seogwipo, Jeju Island. The forum will attract thousands of government officials and experts, including both former and current senior officials. A key highlight is the expected gathering of all U.N. secretary-general candidates, who will outline their plans for leading the international community through uncertain times.
The selection process for the successor to current Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is underway, with five candidates in the race. These candidates include Michelle Bachelet, former president of Chile; Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Rebeca Grynspan, secretary-general of the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development; Macky Sall, former president of Senegal; and Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, Ecuador's former foreign minister.
"There are only two confirmed occasions where all the candidates will gather outside the U.N. to present their visions as prospective secretary-general candidates, and that underscores our soft-power diplomacy and the growing significance of the Jeju Forum," a ministry official stated.
The forum will include sessions addressing global issues through five key agendas, such as cooperation for peace and security amid strategic competition among major powers, shared prosperity through economic, educational, climate, and energy transitions, and global governance and cooperation in the era of artificial intelligence and digital innovation.
The event is co-hosted by the Jeju provincial government and South Korea's foreign ministry, marking the first instance of the ministry's involvement in organizing the annual forum. This collaboration aims to enhance the forum's global standing, as stated by ministry officials.