On July 8th, Secretary-General LIM Byung-jin attended the opening ceremony of the "2023 Ecological Civilization Guiyang International Forum" at the invitation of Guizhou Province. The forum, themed "Promoting the modernization of harmony between humanity and nature - advancing green and low-carbon development," attracted more than 3,200 delegates from 42 countries and regions. Distinguished attendees included Vice Premier LIU Guozhong of the State Council of China, Vice President Theodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue of Equatorial Guinea, and Malaysian Minister CHANG Lih Kang of Science, Technology, and Innovation.

During the welcome dinner held on the eve of the opening ceremony, Mr. Lim introduced NEAR to Zhang Jingping, vice governor of Guizhou Province, and TAO Pingsheng, director of the Foreign Affairs Office of Guizhou Province. He extended an invitation to Guizhou to become a part of NEAR.

The Ecological Civilization Guiyang International Forum is China's sole national-level international gathering dedicated to ecological civilization. Established in 2009, its mission is to promote international cooperation for the advancement of ecological civilization and sustainable development.