Source: Government of the Republic of Korea
2025 Johannesburg G20 Leaders’ Summit Session 2:
A Resilient World – the G20’s Contribution for Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change, Just Energy Transitions, Food Systems
Thank you, Chair.
Although this session’s agenda items may appear distinct, they are in fact deeply interconnected facets of a singular systemic challenge.
As the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction has highlighted, we face a cascading, multidimensional crisis that spans multiple sectors.
Yet if we can adequately absorb these shocks and strengthen our resilience, we will unlock new opportunities and forge new foundations for growth.
To this end, the international community must continuously strengthen its efforts to address the climate crisis.
The Republic of Korea has reaffirmed its commitment by establishing a 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and mid- to long term Climate-Resilient Development Pathways.
The Republic of Korea will stand as a responsible partner in the international community’s shared journey to combat climate change.
Second, disaster risk management must be fundamentally reoriented toward prevention and resilience.
The G20’s adoption of Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS) as its goal at this year’s Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Risk Reduction represents a timely and crucial advancement.
The Republic of Korea is committed to realizing “a future of inclusive safety-where all communities are protected from disaster threats,” and is actively supporting Asia-Pacific nations in this endeavor, providing technical assistance for disaster risk reduction initiatives, including the establishment of flood early warning systems.
The Republic of Korea will actively collaborate with G20 member states to strengthen resilience for disaster response.
Thirdly, we must make substantial investments in resilient infrastructure systems while pursuing the energy transition.
The Republic of Korea is advancing Energy Highway initiative – a signature project to expand renewable energy – to address the climate crisis and foster green industry growth.
The Korean government is also expanding offshore wind clusters and building distributed power networks while simultaneously promoting benefit-sharing models – such as ‘solar income’ and ‘wind income’ programs – that deliver tangible benefits to our citizens.
Lastly, the international community must sustain solidarity and cooperation to strengthen the resilience of the global food system.
The Republic of Korea has expanded its food assistance programs with the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to 17 countries and has been advancing the K-Rice Belt initiative across 14 African nations.
The Republic of Korea will continue to take the lead in strengthening solidarity and cooperation within the international society.
Colleagues,
As the African saying goes, “Rain does not fall on one roof alone.”
The G20 has demonstrated its capacity to lead global economic recovery during times of crisis – through the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
The convergence of climate, disaster, energy, and food crises demands the same spirit of responsible solidarity.
One nation’s resilience contributes to the world’s resilience.
The Republic of Korea will remain committed to taking a leading role in building a robust global architecture – one that mitigates risks in advance, stands firm against shocks, and recovers stronger than before.
Thank you. /END/