Today is the day UN United Volunteer Atsuhito Nakata and his colleague Lek Sophiep were killed on April 8, 1993. They were working together to build peace and democracy in Cambodia. In a world where nationalism is pervasive, we should reaffirm our understanding that humanity as a whole should achieve and sustain peace and democracy.

Mr. Bill Jackson, who was Director of External Relations, stated on the anniversary of the death of UNV Atsuhito Nakata that UNV as a whole were very grateful for Mr. Takehito Nakata`s philosophical acceptance of his son’s death, and his willingness to take up the new role of following his son’s work, whereas one could have expected a more hostile reaction from parents.

Siddharth Chatterjee suggests the blue economy can offer a range of African solutions to African economic problems. He says Africa can learn and benefit from Japan as Japan is essentially a Blue economy.

Visiting Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai called upon Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and other world leaders to promote more the empowerment of women through education and financial support.

In the Special Issue of Global Policy, 2019. Knowledge and Politics in Setting and Measuring SDGs. Professor Sakiko Fukuda-Parr, Professor and Director at the Studley Programs in International Affairs at The New School in New York, and Desmond McNeill of the University of Oslo point out the working of knowledge and politics in setting and measuring the SDGs and danger for too much reliance on indicators that can distort social norms, frame hegemonic discourses, and reinforce power hierarchies. 14 articles and 10 commentaries in the special issue is freely accessible by the following website: https://www.globalpolicyjournal.com/journal-issue/special-issue-knowledge-and-politics-setting-and-measuring-sdgs

NHK reported that Finland maintained its top position for the second consecutive year in the 2019 edition of the World Happiness Ranking and that Japan was downgraded 4 ranks to 58th. “Happiness” reflects a subjective feeling of people, and it does not reflect Japan’s such a low status in happiness. Japan should question the intention of the producer of the indicator. It is inappropriate use of indicators or the theme. The indicator “development” seems more appropriate than “happiness” of a nation.

An international group of MPs calls for a body to strengthen the democratic representation of the world’s citizens in global affairs and the UN’s decision-making, reports The Guardian, 6 March 2019.

On the 28 February 2019 Canadian Journalist Judi Rever made a presentation of her book suggesting that systematic killings of Hutus had been carried out by the Rwandan Patriotic Front during and after what is known to the international community as the Rwandan Genocide in 1994. Her claims provoked a vivid debate among the participants of the round table.

At the conference held on “the Future of the United Nations” at JGU, GPAJ President Hasegawa made a keynote speech on the implications of the Meiji Restoration for the future of the United Nations.

At the courtesy of Ms. Kim, several students of the secretariat are preparing to conduct a simulation conference of the Universal Periodic Review of the UN Human Rights Council. Seen in the photo are from the right: Yuki Nakai, Shion, Kusumi Saei, and Yamane Miko. Also shown is Nakano Shinsuke in computer screen participating in the preparatory meeting from Okinawa.Also participated are Maejima Daiki and Hino Moe.

The President of the Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) welcomed nearly two years ago the appointment of Achim Steiner as the Organization’s new Administrator. UNDP then occupied still the central role in the UN development system. Today, former and current officials of UNDP see the possibility of Secretary-General António Guerres’s organizational reform may put UNDP as uncertain if not in peril.

Chef de Cabinet David Chikvaidze of United Nations Office in Geneva discussed and agreed to hold the second Geneva Dialogue between Asian Scholars and senior officials of UN and International Organizations on September 2-4, 2019 in a meeting held with Executive Director for Academic Exchange of UN Association of Japan and Director of ACUNS Liaison Office in Tokyo Sukehiro Hasegawa.

Speaking in English, he said “I call on all of us to rebuild trust toward the system for international trade. That should be a system that is fair, transparent, and effective in protecting IP (intellectual property) and also in such areas as e-commerce and government procurement.”

Angela Merkel championed a global world order in her address at the World Economic Forum in Davos while Shinzo Abe declared that it was time to rebuild trust in free trade.

Asahi newspaper published an op-ed on Triangular Partnership by Takakazu Ito, Senior Programme Officer, Department of Operational Support of the United Nations on 10 January.

　On New Year’s Day, 1st of January 2019, my wife, daughter and I made a bus tour to Bellinzona through Swiss Alps mountains, arriving at San Bernardino Pass at more than 2,000 meters high in the Swiss Alps. We finally arrived at Lugano.