On June 10^th, the Metropolitan City of Ulsan was honored as the winner of the 2024 FAO Partnership Award during a ceremony held at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The award followed a rigorous three-month evaluation process by member countries and committees, prompted by a recommendation from the FAO Seoul Liaison Office.

Ulsan City's recognition stems from its successful transformation from an industrial center to an eco-friendly urban hub. Since 2021, Ulsan has actively sought to establish partnerships with FAO, starting with the introduction of its urban forest initiative at the 2021 Asia-Pacific Urban Forestry Conference's Mayors' roundtable session. Subsequently, Ulsan City initiated the U-Fly (Ulsan for International Youth) project in 2022, sending local youth as interns to FAO offices in Addis Ababa, Jakarta, Bangkok, and Seoul. The interns' exceptional performance and high satisfaction ratings led to the U-Fly project becoming Ulsan's flagship Official Development Assistance (ODA) initiative from 2023 onward.

Moreover, Ulsan City partnered directly with FAO's response programs in Ukraine, pioneering a local government-led humanitarian aid effort with a contribution of 100 million KRW. This aid supported residents of Odesa, Ukraine, facing environmental challenges similar to those Ulsan has overcome, by providing seeds for enhanced food production and self-sufficiency.

Ulsan City's approach serves as a model of how local governments can forge effective international cooperation through diverse partnerships involving central governments, non-governmental organizations, private sectors, and international bodies. This is particularly crucial for supporting cities in developing countries navigating rapid industrialization and urbanization.

Ulsan City's recent accolade underscores its exemplary international cooperation as a local government, showcasing expertise in urban planning, public service delivery, and community engagement that can serve as a blueprint for cities in similar circumstances globally.

· Source : Ulsan Metropolitan City
· Contact Info : Lee Jang Min / ijjang96@korea.kr