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| KOICA President Sohn Hyuk-sang / Courtesy of KOICA |
By Kang Seung-woo
Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) President Sohn Hyuk-sang has been elected as co-chair of the Halving Global Violence Task Force, comprised of multi-national high-level leadership, according to the state-run overseas aid agency.
According to KOICA, the co-chairs of the task force include ministers of Costa Rica, Liberia, and South Africa, and the director general of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
The task force, with the aim of reducing global violence by 50 percent by 2030, was launched in 2020 by the Pathfinders ― a group of 39 United Nations member states, international organizations, global partnerships, civil society and the private sector which are committed to accelerating the delivery and implementation of the sustainable development goal (SDG) targets for peace, justice, and inclusion.
The task force, comprised of heads of international cooperation agencies, ministerial level member state representatives, and others, serves to unite organizations and stakeholders against the issue of global violence.
Violence is defined in the international community as a comprehensive concept that encompasses not only physical abuse and gender-based violence but also hate crimes and psychological harm. The term also includes criminal, domestic, rural, policy-related and cultural violence.
Sohn, who took office in December 2020, will serve as co-chair until 2023. During his term, he hopes to offer strategic direction and stimulate action-oriented research on reducing global violence in order to accelerate the implementation of the SDG targets for peace, justice, and inclusion.
"KOICA will contribute to international efforts to reduce global violence through effective cooperation, for example by continuously expanding the foundation of mutual cooperation with HGV member countries and organizations, and with the Pathfinders, which is actively working in the areas of peace, inclusion, and justice," Sohn said.
A Pathfinders representative said, "Korea's leadership and expertise will greatly boost the activities of the task force and international efforts to respond to global violence."
KOICA entered into an agreement with the Pathfinders on Dec. 17, 2021 to conduct case studies of KOICA's projects that respond to gender-based violence. KOICA and the Pathfinders will co-host a seminar based on the findings, mutually benefiting from this learning opportunity.
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