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The Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC) would like to congratulate the mayor of Gyeongju, in South Korea, Mr. Choi Yang-sik, as his city now hosts the Asia-Pacific Secretariat, the 8^th regional secretariat of the OWHC.

The Organization would also like to congratulate Ms. Min Kyeong Lee, who was nominated as the new regional coordinator.

The Board of Directors of the OWHC acknowledged and formalized with pleasure the creation of the new secretariat of Gyeongju at its meeting held in Québec on May 14, 15 and 16, 2013. This creation follows up on the recommendations made during the meeting of May 29, 2012, entitled: UNESCO Asia Pacific Mayor’s Forum for World Heritage Cities, which reads as follows:

4. Create and maintain networks and ties amongst each other to better meet the challenges of conserving and managing a city having World Heritage status in Asia and the Pacific, in particular within the network of the Organization of World Heritage Cities;
5. Note with appreciation the interest of the city of Gyeongju to host the first regional Secretariat for Asia and the Pacific of the Organization of World Heritage Cities, and the proposal to convene the first regional conference in 2014.