For successful preparation of the 8th Special Session of Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in which Korea is to host next year, the Ministry of Environment has created a special task force (The Task Force on 8th UNEP GCSS) to start operating from May 13, 2003.

The Task Force on 8th UNEP GCSS is composed of 6 members and organized into three teams-planning and general affairs, promotion and international cooperation, and meeting support team. Along the way, the Task Force will expand its members and cooperate with other ministries to focus its efforts on successful hosting of the meeting.

The next year's meeting is planned to be held in Seoul for 3 days, during March 29-31, 2004. It will be attended by minister-level officials from more than 130 countries, representatives from international agencies and some 700 individual environmentalists.

Through the meeting, the Ministry of Environment hopes to strengthen international environmental relations as well as expanding diplomatic ties with different nations. Also, the meeting will be an opportunity for promoting Korea's environmental technology to people from more than 150 countries around the world.