외교부

Remarks by H.E. Ms. Jina Kim

Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs

18th Seoul ODA International Conference – Welcoming Remarks

September 29, 2025, Seoul

Distinguished participants,Ladies and gentlemen,

Esteemed colleagues from KOICA and our partners around the world,

It is a great honor to join you at the 18th Seoul ODA International Conference, the first event of this year’s Global Development Partnership Week.

Let me begin by expressing my sincere gratitude to KOICA for organizing today’s gathering, and to all of you —from donor and partner governments, civil society, academia, and the private sector—for your commitment to international cooperation development.

This conference provides a meaningful opportunity for us to reflect together on how to pursue innovation and growth in development cooperation.

We are meeting at a time when multiple and overlapping crises are widening development gaps and exacerbating vulnerabilities among disadvantaged groups.

Yet, even as needs grow, development financing is under strain, with many donors reducing their aid budgets.

According to the OECD’s Global Outlook on Financing for Sustainable Development released earlier this year, the financing gap for achieving the SDGs is projected to expand to about 6.4 trillion US dollars annually by 2030, up from 2.5 trillion before the pandemic and 4 trillion in 2023.

In this context, the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development, held in Seville, played a  critical role in sustaining the momentum of multilateral development cooperation by fostering close dialogue and reaching agreements between developed and developing countries.

I had the privilege of participating in FfD4 myself and was deeply encouraged by the determination I witnessed.

Korea, for its part, is fully committed to working for the faithful implementation of the outcome document, the Compromiso de Sevilla.

To move beyond words on paper, we must reinforce global partnerships among all stakeholders and translate our shared commitments into concrete action.

To that end, I would highlight three priorities:

1.Efficient development cooperation built on close collaboration among like-minded donors, leveraging each country’s comparative advantages;

2.Mutually beneficial partnerships with recipient countries as trusted partners in achieving sustainable growth; and

3.Integrated approaches where ODA serves as a catalyst to mobilize private resources from businesses, civil society, and beyond.

Tomorrow, at the Busan Global Partnership Forum,

I look forward to in-depth discussions on how to strengthen development effectiveness as a practical means of advancing the Compromiso de Sevilla.

As a responsible global partner Korea is determined to contribute actively to the international community’s efforts to achieve the SDGs.

Our commitment is not only to expand the scale of ODA but also to improve the quality by sharpening its strategic focus, enhancing effectiveness, and ensuring that our assistance is designed in ways that are both trusted and embraced by our partner countries.

Before I conclude, let me once again express my deep appreciation to all participants for your dedication to advancing sustainable development. I also wish for the success of this conference, and indeed for all the events of the Global Development Partnership Week.

May the 18th Seoul ODA International Conference serve as an inspiring platform to deepen our collective resolve and strengthen global partnerships for a better and more sustainable future.

Thank you very much.