Professor Hiroko AKIZUKI, member of the United Nations Commission on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) joined by Professors Misako TAKIZAWA, and Ai KIHARA-HUNT, discussed the current status and issues taken up by CEDAW, followed by a lively exchange of opinions with the participation of experts and scholars. Please click here for the gist of the remarks. (Organized by Akiko ABE)
“Japan`s International Peace Cooperation: Past, Present, and Future” by Mr. Naoto HISAJIMA (27/07/2022)
Mr. Naoto Hisajima, Director-General, Secretariat of the International Peace Cooperation Headquarters, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan stated, that Japan marked the 30th anniversary of Japan’s involvement in international peace cooperation activities, looking back the past experiences and at the way ahead. The seminar was organized by Mr. Daiki Inoue and its report was compiled by Mr. Maciej Witek.
Hasegawa advocates strengthening the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation. (21/07/2022)
At the conference of the Future of the United Nations held at Jindal University in India 0n 20 February 2019, Mr. Sukehiro Hasegawa, President of the Global Peacebuilding Association of Japan suggested in response to Mr. Srimal Fernando`s question that small countries around India should work harder to strengthen the regional organization, SAARC, instead of just fearing India. Click here for the video recording.
“Japan`s International Peace Cooperation: Past, Present and Future” by Mr. Naoto HISAJIMA (27/07/2022)
ACUNS Tokyo, Kyoto Peacebuilding Center and Global Peacebuilding Association of Japan will hold a Seminar on Japan`s National Peace Cooperation Activities. Please click here for the full program. If you are interested in participating, please fill in the registration form here by Tuesday, 26 July.
Professor Takahiro SHINYO commented on the inability to deal with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (04/07/2022))
In his interview with the Hokkaido Shinbun, Professor Takahiro SHINYO of Kwansei Gakuin University commented on the inability to deal with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and indicated his views on how to reform the United Nations Security Council. Please click here for the full text of his interview.
“The Ukrainian Crisis: A View from a Former President of the Republic of Serbia” by Mr. Boris Tadić, Former President of Serbia (02/07/2022)
President Tadic started the presentation from his view on Kosovo. In his address as a president in 2008, at the 63rd session of the UN General Assembly, he warned that Kosovo is a crisis that threatens world peace. He underlined that Kosovo’s potential precedence represents a huge problem for international peace and stability. That addressing was in the context of seeking support for the Serbian resolution requesting an advisory opinion on Kosovo’s independence from the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Grandson, Kenji, participated in a soccer tournament in Switzerland on 26 June 2022.
My grandson Kenji and his father Stephen are in this picture.
UN General Assembly elects Japan along with Ecuador, Malta, Mozambique, and Switzerland as New Members of the Security Council (09/06/2022)
According to UN News, the President of the General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid, announced on Friday, 9 June that Japan along with Ecuador, Malta, Mozambique, and Switzerland had been elected to serve as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for the period of two years from January 2023 to December 2024 by votes cast by the members of the General Assembly. (Photo: NEWS. UN. ORG)
GPAJ Delegation attended the Inaugural Ceremony of President José Ramos-Horta and the Independence Day Celebration on 19 and 20 May 2022. (19/05/2022)
Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Mr. José Ramos-Horta, was sworn in as President of Timor-Leste on 19 May 2022, ahead of the celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of independence for Asia’s newest country. The delegation led by Professor Sukehiro Hasegawa, former Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, included Professor Takaaki Mizuno of Kanda University of International Studies, Professor Mayumi Yamada of Ritsumeikan University, Professor Takeshi Sato Daimon of Waseda University, Professor Juichi Inada of Senshu University and Ms. Akiko Abe of the Global Peacebuilding Association of Japan (GPAJ). (Photo and Reporter: Akiko ABE)
USG Atul Khare: “Japan’s Contributions to UN Peace Operations” (16-19/05/2022)
United Nations Under-Secretary-General Atul Khare visited Japan and exchanged his views on Japan`s international peace cooperation activities with members of the Diet of Japan in Tokyo on 16 May. He made his lectures at the Kwansei Gakuin University and the Kyoto University of the Arts on 19 May. Please click here for the full texts of his speeches.
“Responding to President Zelensky`s Call for Reforming the United Nations Security Council” by Ambassador Tsuneo Nishida (14/05/2022)
Ambassador Tsuneo stated that it is not the stage where we are just discussing very small details. Why? Because we should not be unrealistic. Are the US, Russia, and China so different? No, they are not different. For example, the democratic US government said that war criminals must be punished. At the same time, the US was not a member of the ICC. We need a special tribunal if we want to punish those who are responsible for these atrocities. Once you have already killed so many people, negotiations are always needed, but we should pursue justice. Do you place Mr. Putin and welcome new permanent members with nuclear power and veto in the next 10 years? This is not acceptable. How people can believe in a reform of the UN with Putin and nuclear weapons there? We are talking about the realistic approach, but these realistic options are not realistic at all. Only to make an extension of what we have agreed upon immediately after World War II. What we are experiencing is not a second Cold War, this is a hot war, a total invasion by a big country into the neighboring country. Are we supposed to agree on some small compromise and say thank you, welcome again? That is not a reform. We are not talking about the past, but the coming generations.
UN Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that 30,000 Ukrainians Going Back Home Every Day (16/04/2022)
According to OCHA, more than 870,000 people who fled abroad since the Russian invasion on 24 February, have now returned to Ukraine, amid concerns about deteriorating food security inside the country. (Photo: UNICEF/Julia Kochetova)
An interactive discussion was held on 9 April 2022 in response to President Zelensky`s Call for Reforming the United Nations Security Council. Participants explored the possibility of inventing A New Global Institution to Prevent an Armed Aggression by A Permanent Member of the UN Security Council (09/04/2022)
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Visit to Hitachi seaside park
Greetings from the Hitachi National Seaside Park we visited in March 2022. From right to left: Elizabeth Gamarra, Ken Inoue (on top), Fujiko Amano, and Sukehiro Hasegawa.
“Post-Genocide Transformation of Rwanda: Critical Review of its Achievements and the Remaining Challenges” by Ambassador Charles Murigande (23/04/2022)
Former Foreign Minister and Ambassador to Japan Charles Murigande of Rwanda to Japan made a critical review of the developments in Rwanda since its genocide in 1994. He was joined by Hiroshi KATO, Former Vice President of Japan International Development Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Professor at the International University of Japan. Please click here for its video recording.
“Current Status and Future of Japan’s International Peace Cooperation Activities” by Mr. Goro MATSUMURA (26/02/2022)
Former General Manager of the North Eastern Army of the Ground Self-Defense Force, Goro Matsumura, presented the current and future prospect of Japan’s international peace cooperation activities, the global trend of partnership peace cooperation activities, two approaches to national security, and the relationship between Japan’s national security in general and international peace cooperation activities as well as the future prospect.
Visit to Kairakuen & Seaside Park in Mito, Ibaraki
A group of GPAJ members: Ken INOUE, Fujiko AMANO, Elizabeth Gamarra, Naoko KUMAGAI and Sukehiro HASEGAWA, visited the Kairakuen Garden in Mito and National Hitachi Seaside Park in Ibaraki on March 15 and 16, 2022.
“Future of Liberal Democracy in Southeast Asia Indonesia and Malaysia” by Prof. Yuji Suzuki (14/12/2021)
Professor Suzuki, President of the National Federation of UNESCO Association of Japan, explains the challenges faced by Southeast Asian countries, particularly Indonesia and Malaysia. His presentation was followed by a lively discussion participated by Ambassadors Shinyo and Yanagisawa as well as Messrs Nakayama and Kuroda, and Ms. Elizabeth Gamarra.
Online Seminar “Why Do Revolutions Happen? -Reflections on Post-Soviet Kazakhstan’s 30 year Shadow Transition-” (Professor Aigul Kulnazarova)
Professor Aigul Kulnazarova will explain why revolutions take place in the post-Soviet region, most recently in Kazakhstan, on Tuesday 8 February 2022 from 20:00～21:30 Japan Standard Time. She will be joined by David Chikvaidze, Chef de Cabinet, UN Office at Geneva and Lise Howard, President of ACUNS. For participation, please register from the link below by February 7. https://forms.gle/oPRwsLY4Jg411A7V9