An international conference was held in Seoul on Wednesday to discuss strategies for addressing innovative climate change measures in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the foreign ministry said. The event, dubbed Seoul Debates, is co-hosted by the ministry and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Seoul Policy Centre, the ministry said in a press release. It brought together UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner and Second Vice Foreign Minister Kang In-sun, as well as scholars and experts from various fields. Notably, this marked UNDP Administrator Steiner's first visit to South Korea since taking office in 2017. The SDGs, adopted by all U.N. member states in 2015, established 17 global goals aimed at achieving "peace and prosperity for people and the planet," while addressing challenges such as climate change. In her congratulatory speech, Kang emphasized that the global crisis caused by climate change is undermining development achievements and threatening the well- being of humanity, the ministry said. Meanwhile, Steiner highlighted that climate change presents a significant challenge, but through collective action, such a crisis can be transformed into an opportunity for sustainable change. Seoul Debates is an international conference that provides a platform for sharing South Korea's experiences and exploring strategies in various areas of development cooperation. This year's event marks the fifth iteration of the conference since 2013. Source: Yonhap News Agency