Cooperation agreement signed by seven international design associations on the road to the 2017 World Design Summit Montreal

Seven international organizations agreed to work together to make the world a better place by addressing global social and environmental problems through design. During the International Design Congress Summit hosted by the City of Gwangju and the Korea Craft Design Foundation, the design agency of the Ministry of Sports and Tourism in Korea, all organizations agreed to and declare the following:

We, the participating organizations in the 2015 IDC in Gwangju Korea, recognize the critical role played by design in creating a world that is environmentally sustainable, economically viable, social equitable, and culturally diverse.

The 2017 World Design Summit Montreal will be a historical opportunity to connect, generate a common voice, engage decision makers and lead by developing an action plan.  We call on the international community to join us in active collaboration to ensure the success of this process.

This historic declaration was announced at the conclusion of the International Design Congress Summit. “I want to extend my gratitude to Honorable Sheila Copps and Professor Swoo Kyung Suh the Co-Chairs of the summit for their inspiring stewardship,” said Don Ryun Chang, Organizing Chair of the 2015 International Design Congress. “In addition, I salute our international design partners Ico-D, Icsid, IFI, IFHP, IFLA, Cumulus, IxDA, and the World Design Summit Organization for their collaborative wisdom that is symbolized with this declaration. In addition, I ask colleagues, designers as well as practitioners, educators and students from all fields to participate in this ‘design movement’ and co-create vital momentum leading to the WDSO Montreal 2017.”