Cheju-do, Korea's southern resort island, is highly likely to host a world congress of local autonomous governments in 2003, said Max Mg'andwe, president of the International Union of Local Authorities (IULA).

``The chances are strong, but the IULA is a democratic institution. If Cheju-do files a formal application, the IULA's World Executive Committee (WEXCOM) will make the final decision,'' he said in an interview with The Korea Times.

The IULA, dubbed the ``United Nations of local autonomous governments worldwide,'' is holding an executive committee meeting in Seoul's Hotel Sofitel Ambassador with more than 100 committee members from 43 countries attending.

At present, Lyon in France and Stockholm in Sweden are also seeking to host the world congress of the international organization, which is likely to attract nearly 2,000 participants from across the world. The decision on the host country will be made at the next WEXCOM to be held in Mexico next year.

The president, who is from Zambia, said that the IULA is working to maximize citizens' participation in the governance system of each member country.

WEXCOM's Seoul conference is designed to review its past achievements and set new policies, he said, adding that this meeting is its last event of this millennium.

The president also said that participants in this conference had exchanged views on the merger between the IULA and the United Towns Organization (UTO).

Meanwhile, Moon Chang-soo, president of the Korea Local Authorities Foundation for International Relations, said that this Seoul conference had helped give the participants from across the world the impression that Korea is advanced in terms of local government activities. …