Dho Young-Shim

Ambassador Dho has been promoting tourism, sports and education to fight poverty in the world’s least developed countries.

From 2004 to 2018, she served as Chairperson of the UNWTO ST-EP Foundation, established in Seoul, Republic of Korea, under the Sustainable Tourism for Eliminating (ST-EP) initiative of the World Tourism Organization. She has spearheaded the Thank You Small Library project of the UNWTO ST-EP Foundation which has established over 180 libraries in 20 developing countries since October 2007.

From 1982 to 1992, she was a Member of the Korean Delegation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union; between 1985 and 1988, she served as Chief of Staff of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee; from 1988 to 1992, she was a Member of the National Assembly; and from 1988 to 1992, she served as Vice-Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Unification.

Between 1999 and 2003, she was Vice Chair and Chair of the Organizing Committee for Visit Korea Year; from 2003 to 2004, she served as Ambassador of Cultural Cooperation; and from 2005 to 2006, she was Ambassador of Tourism and Sports.

Ambassador Dho holds a BSc in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma. In 2008, she was awarded the title if High Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.

Her current responsibilities include:
UN SDGs Advocates Alumni Chair (UN MDGs and SDGs Advocate from 2010 to 2019)
Founding member of the International Sports and Travel Organization (INSTO) Institute for Peace and Prosperity
Chairperson of the International Charity Foundation (ICF), Republic of Korea
Special Advisor of the SDGs Center for Africa
Special Advisor of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA)