Vice Minister Lim Ki-geun met on the 6th with Joe Cerrell, the foundation’s managing director for external relations, to discuss ways to improve the effectiveness of international development cooperation. The meeting followed Bill Gates’ visit to South Korea in August last year.
During that trip, Gates met with President Lee Jae-myung to discuss global health and ODA cooperation. Gates said South Korea is among the few countries to have transitioned from an aid recipient to a donor, and urged it to continue supporting efforts to improve the global health environment.
Lim praised the foundation’s results in global health and sustainable development. He said its approach of using its funding to draw in private capital and technology helps boost the effectiveness of development assistance.
Cerrell said he highly values South Korea’s rise from an ODA recipient to a donor and expressed hope that the government will increase ODA support to show stronger leadership.
Lim responded that the focus should be on strategic use of resources and spreading measurable results. “Through cooperation among diverse development partners, including the public and private sectors, we can create new added value,” he said, adding that in the digital and artificial intelligence era, private innovation in technology and networks should be used to the fullest.
Lim and Cerrell also reviewed the outcomes and significance of global cooperation projects between South Korea and the foundation, including the International Health Technology Research Fund (RIGHT Foundation). They agreed on the need to identify promising cooperation projects in other areas as well.
The ministry said it will work with ODA lead agencies, including the Foreign Ministry, to review the full process from budget execution to performance management and reflect the results in drafting the next budget proposal.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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