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.
1. Journal
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.
Online Seminar “Winning and Losing the Nuclear Peace: Look Back on Arms Control and Non-Proliferation” (Ms. Angela Kane)
Global Peacebuilding Association of Japan (GPA-J), Kyoto Peacebuilding Center (KPC) and ACUNS Tokyo Liaison Office presented Angela Kane, Former High Representative for Disarmament Affairs and Under-Secretary-General for Management of the United Nations “Winning and Losing the Nuclear Peace: Looking Back on Arms Control and Non-Proliferation” Saturday 29 January 2022 at 10:00 hours Tokyo time and Friday 28 January 2022 at 20:00 hours Washington DC time.
Professor Katsumi ISHIZUKA, member of the Board of Directors of GPAJ, presented his book on the History of Peacebuilding in East Timor to former President and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão on November 23, 2021 at the Meiji Jingu Gaien campus of the Kyoto University of the Arts. Dr. ISHIZUKA received MA from the University of Nottingham and Ph.D. from the University of Keele. (01/12/2021)
Ambassador Ina Lepel of Germany has completed her assignment in Japan and moved to Jakarta to take up her new duty as Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor-Leste. We thank you for her contributions to the peacebuilding activities of the Global Peacebuilding Association of Japan and the Kyoto Peacebuilding Center. We now welcome the arrival of Ambassador Clemens von Goetze in Tokyo and look forward to our association with him and his participation in our activities. External Relations Officer Arbenita Sopaj (22/10/2021)
UN Volunteers building peace over the years: reflections of Sukehiro Hasegawa | UNV (22/07/2021)
As UNV turns 50, we feature an interview with Sukehiro Hasegawa, former Deputy Executive Coordinator of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme from 1987 to 1993. Mr Hasegawa helped transform UNV from primarily a community development organization into a strong partner for UN peacekeeping efforts. Find out more about Mr Hasegawa’s reflections on our mandate, work and partners 30 years ago.
UN Special Envoy for Myanmar, Christine Bergner, met on May 26, 2021, with former UN Special Representatives and Japanese Ambassadors at the Kyoto International Peacebuilding Center in Tokyo. During her stay in Tokyo, the UN Special Envoy also met with Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi and Senior Political Leaders ETO Seishiro, AISAWA Ichiro and NAKAGAWA Masaharu. (25/07/2021)
UN Secretary-General`s Special Envoy for Myanmar Christine Bergner met with Yasushi AKASHI (Former SRSG for Cambodia, former Yugoslavia) Sukehiro HASEGAWA (Former SRSG for Timor-Leste) Tadamichi YAMAMOTO (Former SRSG for Afghanistan) at the Kyoto International Peacebuilding Center on the Tokyo Gaien Campus on May 26, 2021. Former Japanese Ambassadors to the United Nations, Kenzo OSHIMA, Takahiro SNINYO and Toshiya HOSHINO also participated in the meeting along with Mr. Takahiro NIWA, Chairman of the Council of the Kyoto International Peacebuilding Center.
The Japanese parliament, known as Diet, condemned on June 8, 2021 the coup d’état staged by the Tatmadaw – the Burmese military. (08/06/2021)
During his online conversation with Japanese diplomats and scholars, former President and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate José Ramos-Horta praised Japan for upholding the principle of democratic governance. He was referring to the resolution passed by the Lower House on June 8, 2021, which condemned the coup d’état staged by the Myanmar military. The resolution, adopted by a majority vote in the Lower House, demanded early restoration of democratic governance in Myanmar.
Japan must use its special relationship with Myanmar to facilitate peace (07/05/2021)
Here is a proposal by 3 former Japanese Special Representatives of the Secretary-General of the United Nation and 3 former Japanese Ambassadors to the United Nations. Please click here for the full text that appeared in the Japan Times.
The Advisory Statement and Recommendations on Myanmar addressed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Toshimitsu MOTEGI was drawn up by three former SRSGs, Yasushi AKASHI (Cambodia and Former Yugoslavia), Sukehiro HASEAWA (Timor-Leste), Tadamichi YAMAMOTO (Afghanistan) and three Japanese Ambassadors to the United Nations, Kenzo OSHIMA (2004~2007), Takahiro SHINYO (2006~2008) and Toshiya HOSHINO (2017~2020).
Please click here for the Advisory Statement and Recommendations.
JAPAN’S APPROACH TO MYANMAR: DIPLOMATIC LEADERSHIP OR BUSINESS AS USUAL? (15/04/2021)
Aleksandra Babovic and Arbenita Sopaji, two members of the Global Peacebuilding Association of Japan (GPAJ), examine Japan`s approach to the Myanmar crisis in their article published by the Institute for Policy Studies dated April 5, 2021. Please click here for full article.
In his keynote address to the conference of Japanese parliamentary members` peace forum in Tokyo, David Malone, Rector of the United Nations University and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, drew a parallel between the UN emerging after World War II as a replacement of the League of Nations, and Japan replacing the failed leadership of the country in the same time period. Malone concluded that the Tokyo parliamentary peace forum can be useful in advancing the debate on actions that needed to be taken to address global crises and challenges.
David Malone, Rector of the United Nations University and Under-Secre…
Arbenita Sopaj visits Tokyo and has a Lunch Meeting at Arabian Restaurant with Board Members, Elizabeth Gamarra, Ken Inoue and Sukehiro Hasegawa on how to cope with expanding GPAJ membership. (01/10/2020)
GPAJ Member, Arbenita Sopaj visited Tokyo from Kobe University this week. Arbenita has been an active member of GPAJ as one of the moderators for the zoom conference on “The Impact of the UN Intervention on Contemporary Kosovo” featuring Ambassador Leon Malazogu and others. She held an informal lunch with Sukehiro Hasegawa, President of GPAJ, Ken Inoue, Vice President of GPAJ, Elizabeth Gamarra, member of the GPAJ Board.
Zhang Guihong：Future International Cooperation should pay More Attention to Human Security, Dignity, Equality and Freedom (23/09/2020)
In his article just published by China Daily on September 23, Director of the Research Center for United Nations and International Organizations of Fudan University, Professor Zhang Guihong, who is member of the Global Peacebuilding Association of Japan, recognizes the UN has a unique advantage in promoting universal values as well as global norms and ethics. Please click here for his full article.