Seoul: Yonhap News Agency, South Korea's key newswire, is set to host a global forum with the U.N. refugee body Thursday to address the issue of forced displacement in Africa, where more than 100 million people have lost homes due to war, violence, or persecution. The Global Forum on Solutions for Forced Displacement in Africa, hosted jointly with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is scheduled to kick off at Yonhap News Agency's headquarters in central Seoul later in the day.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the event is sponsored by the Africa Forum, a study group of lawmakers, along with the Korea-Africa Foundation. The latest forum will shed light on the realities facing Africans who are forced to leave their homes and refugees forced to cross borders due to conflict, climate change, or other causes, while highlighting the role the press can play in addressing these issues. Yonhap News Agency President and CEO Hwang Dae-il will deliver an opening address, followed by welcoming remarks by Kim Sae-ryeo, representative of UNHCR Korea.
Rep. Lee Hun-seung, chairman of the parliamentary Africa Forum; Kim Young-chae, the chief of the Korea-Africa Foundation; and Amira Agarib, the Sudanese ambassador to South Korea, will each deliver congratulatory remarks. Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will also deliver a congratulatory speech via video, followed by a keynote speech from Mamadou Dian Balde, UNHCR's regional director for East and Horn of Africa, and Great Lakes.
Through two presentation and discussion sessions, the forum will guide participants through the history and current state of forced displacement in Africa and explore the role the South Korean press can play in addressing these issues. Last November, Yonhap News Agency launched the Ubuntu Initiative, the first-ever Africa-focused team created by a South Korean news outlet. Since then, the team has been working to raise awareness and understanding of Africa in Korean society.