To provide participants with a more informative and rich experience, we introduce five key features that are particularly focused on this year's Forum.
Wide Range of Programs
For the first time in two years, the Forum will be held on site, and along with the various meetings there will be opportunities for participants to take part in tours and side events. There will be Human Rights Dark Tour, Human Rights Policy Tour, Culture and Arts Tour, UNESCO Tour, and Asia Culture Center Tour, where you can discover a different side of Gwangju, as a center of Asian culture and the Creative City of Media Arts designated by UNESCO. Furthermore, diverse artworks submitted by citizens on the theme of human rights will be displayed at the venue, and a there will be a booth where you can learn about the activities aimed to promote human rights at the local level.
Highly-relevant Issue for All
The theme of this year, "Climate Crisis and Human Rights", is particularly relevant as we are experiencing extreme weather more frequently. This year's Forum recognizes the climate crisis as one of the biggest threats to human rights and sustainable future, and assesses it from a human rights perspective. In particular, we would like to identify vulnerable groups suffering more seriously from the climate crisis and to suggest solutions for the problems of discrimination and inequality occurring in certain areas.
Representatives of All Levels, From High-Level Delegations to Youth Activists
In order to overcome the climate crisis, responses must be made at all levels, including the international community, the local governments, and individuals. We are in the process of inviting Ian Fry, the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change, who played an important role in calling for the international community to take collective action against climate crisis by bring attention to the situation of Tuvalu, a small island located in the South Pacific that is in danger of being submerged. We also expect mayors and cities representatives around the world to be present to share their experiences and insights. This year in particular, it is very important to hear the voices of future generations and we are inviting young activists from all over the world to contribute to the Forum.
Contribution to The Global Discussion
One of the goals of this year's Forum is to prepare human rights-based guidelines or guiding principles that local governments can refer to in the implementation of climate crisis response policies. An expert working group, consisting of officials from international organizations, climate experts, and the Forum’s International Advisory Committee members, has been formed to achieve this. During the Forum, the expert group will focus on gathering valuable knowledge and relevant examples. Furthermore, we are actively seeking ways in which this guidelines can be reflected in global discussions, declarations, and decisions, such as the UNFCCC, in the future.
Eco-Friendly Event
As this year's main objective is to discuss solutions to climate crisis, we are focusing on preparing eco-friendly events. Over the past years, the Forum has established and complied with eco-friendly event management policies to reduce waste of resources. This includes measures such as refraining froim disposable items usage, recycling previously-used items, reducing the amount of printed materials, and using electronic documents. This year, we will further strengthen the eco-friendly event management policy and actively promote a green campaign so that participants can contribute to a meaningful and sustainable event.
