The Association of North East Asia Regional Governments

The Association of North East Asia Regional Governments (NEAR) is an international organization founded by 78 regional governments from six Northeast Asian Countries including the People’s Republic of China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.^[1] NEAR is committed to contributing to the co-development of regions and world peace by enhancing mutual exchange and cooperation based on the spirit of reciprocity and equity.^[2]

Establishment[edit]

Since 1993, the heads of regional governments from four countries, China, Japan, Republic of Korea, and Russia has held the Northeast Asia Regional Governments Conference and, at the time the 4th Conference was held at Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province in September 1996, the Association of North East Asia Regional Governments (NEAR) was established as an international organization by adopting the Union Charter.^[3] Since then, NEAR has expanded its membership to 78 regional governments members in six countries with the participation of North Korean and Mongolian regional governments and has been growing as a representative cooperation among regional governments in Northeast Asia.^[4]

Organization[edit]

The Association consists of the General Assembly, Working Committee, and Subcommittees.^[5] Through international forums and workshops, it conducts various activities to achieve coexistence, which is the foundational goal of the Association.^[6] The General Assembly is the highest resolution organization composed of representatives from the regional governments members and is held biennially.^[7] The chairperson’s term of office is two years, and the head of the regional government, which holds the General Assembly, carries out the chairmanship until the expiration date of the General Assembly.^[8] The Working Committee is composed of individuals at the director-general level who have been appointed by the heads of each regional government.^[9] The chairperson of the Working Committee convenes a meeting which is followed by the General Assembly the following year.^[10] The Subcommittees are organized in every field to support a smooth implementation of tasks or individual projects suggested by the Association.^[11]

Members[edit]

When the Association was established in 1996, 29 regional governments from four countries including three regional governments from China, nine regional governments from Japan, nine regional governments from Republic of Korea, and eight regional governments from Russia participated.^[12] In 2002, with the participation of regional governments of North Korea, Mongolia, and Russia, it expanded to 40 regional governments from six countries.^[13] At the General Assembly held in Shandong Province, China in 2008, the membership further increased to 69 regional governments members from six countries through the joining of Incheon Metropolitan City, Gwangju Metropolitan City, Daejeon Metropolitan City and Ulsan Metropolitan City of the Republic of Korea and Magadan Region of Russia.^[14] Also, in 2010, Kemerovo Region of Russia and Sejong Special Self-Governing City of the Republic of Korea in 2012 newly joined and the Association expanded to 71 regional governments members from six countries.^[15] As a result, 16 regional governments except for Seoul among 17 regional governments in South Korea became members.^[16] In 2014, Jilin Province of China and the Republic of Khakassia of Russia joined.^[17] In 2016, Shaanxi Province, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Shanxi Province, and Anhui Province of China joined as well.^[18] In 2018, as Akita Prefecture of Japan became a member, 78 regional governments of six countries joined together as members of the Association.^[19]

China (11 Members):[edit]

Henan Province, Hubei Province, Shandong Province, Hunan Province, Jilin Province, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Heilongjiang Province, Shaanxi Province, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Shanxi Province, Anhui Province

Japan (11 Members):[edit]

Aomori Prefecture, Niigata Prefecture, Toyama Prefecture, Yamagata Prefecture, Ishikawa Prefecture, Fukui Prefecture, Kyoto Prefecture, Hyōgo Prefecture, Tottori Prefecture, Akita Prefecture, Shimane Prefecture

Republic of Korea (16 Members):[edit]

Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, Busan Metropolitan City, Incheon Metropolitan City, Daejeon Metropolitan City, Ulsan Metropolitan City, Gyeonggi Province, Gangwon Province, Daegu Metropolitan City, North Chungcheong Province, South Chungcheong Province, North Jeolla Province, Gwangju Metropolitan City, South Jeolla Province, North Gyeongsang Province(96), South Gyeongsang Province, Sejong Special Autonomous City

North Korea (2 Members):[edit]

North Hamgyong Province, Rason Special City

Mongolia (22 Members):[edit]

Ulaanbaatar Aimag, Töv Aimag, Selenge Aimag, Dornod Aimag, Sükhbaatar Aimag, Khentii Aimag, Dornogovi Aimag, Dundgovi Aimag, Umnugobi Province, Bulgan Aimag, Övörkhangai Aimag, Bayankhongor Aimag, Arkhangai Aimag, Khövsgöl Aimag, Zavkhan Aimag, Govi-Altai Aimag, Khovd Province, Uvs Province, Bayan-Ölgii Aimag, Orkhon Aimag, Govisümber Aimag, Darkhan-Uul Aimag

Russia (16 Members):[edit]

Khabarovsk Krai, Sakhalin Oblast, Amur Oblast, Kamchatka Oblast, Irkutsk Region, Republic of Sakha, Republic of Buryatia, Zabaikalsky Krai, Primorsky Krai, Tomsk Oblast, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Tuva Republic, Altai Krai, Magadan Oblast, Kemerovo Oblast, Republic of KhakassiaList of Chairpersons of the NEAR

List of Chairpersons of the NEAR ^[20][edit]

• The 1st Chair (Sept. 1996 – Oct. 1998) : Governor Lee Eui Geun (Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, Republic of Korea)

• The 2nd Chair (Oct. 1998 – Sept. 2000) : Governor Nakaiki Yutaka (Toyama Prefecture, Japan)

• The 3rd Chair (Sept. 2000 – Sept. 2002) : Governor Ido Toshizo (Hyogo Prefecture, Japan)

※ When the 3rd Working Committee was held in August 2001, Khabarovsk Territory proposed a change to the order of the meetings organized by the chairman's group from the Working Committee to the General Assembly.

• The 4th Chair (Sept. 2002 – Sept. 2002) : Governor Victor I. lshaev (Khabarovsk Territory, Russia)

※ According to the results of the 3rd Working Committee, Khabarovsk Territory took the one-point chairmanship and immediately transferred it to Heilongjiang Province (Sept. 2002)

• The 5th Chair (Sept. 2002 – Sept. 2004) : Governor Zhang Zuo Ji (Heilongjiang Province, China)

• The 6th Chair (Sept. 2004 – Sept. 2006) : Mayor Hur, Nam-Sik (Busan Metropolitan City, Korea)

• The 7th Chair (Sept. 2006 – Sept. 2008) : Governor Jiang Daming (Shandong Province, China)

• The 8th Chair (Sept. 2008 – Oct. 2010) : Governor Kim Moon Soo (Gyeonggi-do Province, Korea)

• The 9th Chair (Oct. 2010 – Jul. 2012) : Governor Wang Zhengwei (Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China)

• The 10th Chair (Jul. 2012 – Jun. 2014): Governor Park Jun-young (Jeollanam-do Province, South Korea)

(Jul.2014 – Oct. 2014): Governor Lee Nak-yon (Jeollanam-do Province, South Korea)

• The 11th Chair (Nov. 2014 – Sept. 2015): Governor Yaroshenko Sergey (Irkutsk Region, Russia)

(Oct. 2015 – Sept. 2016): Governor Levchenko Sergey (Irkutsk Region, Russia)

• The 12th Chair (Sept. 2016 – October. 2018): Governor Xu Dazhe (Hunan Province, China)

• The 13th Chair (Nov. 2018 – Present): Acting Head Aysen Nikolaeve (Sakha Republic, Russia)

Secretariat[edit]

Gyeongsangbuk-do Province of the Republic of Korea invited NEAR to establish a permanent Secretariat which has been operating in Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province since May 2, 2005.^[21] The Secretariat is managed by the Secretary General and a two-part system consisting of the Department of Planning and Public Relations and the Department of International Cooperation.^[22] It is jointly staffed by public officials dispatched from Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, member regional governments of each country, and national experts.^[23] The Secretariat plays a pivotal role in the Association’s operation, and it carries out roles including budgeting and budget execution, preparing accounting reports, coordinating working contacts between regional governments, and supporting the operation and enforcing resolutions of the General Assembly, Working Committee, and coordinating Subcommittees.^[24]

List of Secretary Generals of the NEAR^[25][edit]

• Lee Hae-doo (Jan. 2006 – Mar. 2011)
• Kim Jae-hyo (May 2011 – Dec. 2014)
• Jun Jae-won (Apr. 2015 – Mar. 2017)
• Hong Jong-kyoung (Apr. 2017 – Apr. 2019)
• Kim Ok-chae (May 2019 – Present)

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• NEAR official website
• NEAR on Facebook

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