At an exhibition on “The Chinese Army to Protect the World Peace” held in New York, Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support, Atul Khare, commended China for currently deploying a total of 2,508 uniformed personnel, including 70 women, to 8 of the UN’s current peacekeeping missions, including UNMISS, UNIFIL, and MINUSMA. Khare also noted China has contributed approximately 5.8 million dollars to UN Peacekeeping through the Peace and Security Trust Fund since 2017.
Barbara Crossette reports the current restructuring of the UN may be sidelining UNDP Administrator Steiner, jeopardizing development work. (28/01/2019)
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.
Second Geneva Dialogue on 2-4 September 2019 (28/01/2019)
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.
At Davos World Economic Forum, Japanese PM Shinzo Abe called for rebuilding trust in international trade and reform of WTO (23/01/2019)
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.”
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and German Chancellor Angela Merkel speak in Davos (23/01/2019)
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.
At the Caspian Week held in parallel with the Davos World Economic Forum, I was asked by reporters why a multilateral approach was so important. I told them it was the only way we could sustain peace and development of the international community and humanity by maintaining universal values and promoting fairness among all countries and people. (22/01/2019)
Prospect for Sustaining Peace in South Sudan discussed by Participants of GPAJ/ HPC Joint Review Meeting (10/01/2019)
Some participants found positive and encouraging signs while others remained skeptical about the possibility for South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and his major adversary, the former vice-president and opposition leader Riek Machar and other tribal leaders to translate the agreement reached in September 2018 into the formation of a stable government. A summary report of discussion will follow.
Takakazu Ito highlighted the potential of the Triangular Partnership to strengthen UN peacekeeping and to ultimately realize a world in which we no longer need peacekeepers. (10/01/2019)
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.
May the New Year bring Peace and Stability to the Global Society and Good Health and Happiness to You. Sukehiro Hasegawa (01/01/2019)
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.
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More than six months have passed since Mr. Kit Kitatani passed away. I recently met Mrs Akiko Kitatani. She is over 90 years old but very healthy, speak clearly and walk well. Please join me in wishing her continued good health and happiness throughout New Year 2019.
GPAJ board members joined a year-end party (28/12/2018)
A year-end party was held at the French restaurant, Les Cristalline in Aoyama, Tokyo. In addition to the memories of the events that took place this year, the participants talked about how to move forward next year in the meeting of the Board of Directors on February 9.
At the Peacebuilding Forum Tokyo 2018 held in Tokyo on December 8, former UN Under-Secretary-General Yasushi Akashi delivers opening remarks. (08/12/2018)
Mr. Yasushi Akashi looked at how the UN peace operations had evolved over the years in Asia, Europe, Middle East and Africa and pointed out the need to ascertain how Japan can contribute to the UN peace operations in the future. Mr. Akashi served as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Cambodia and in the former Yugoslavia.
[2018 Tokyo Peacebuilding Forum] Photo Album (08/12/2018)
2018 Tokyo Peacebuilding Forum was held at JICA Ichigaya Building on December 8, 2018. It was opened by former Under-Secretary-General and Special Representatives of the Secretary-General Mr. Yasushi Akashi and keynote speech was delivered by Ambassador Fumio Iwai, Secretary-General of the Secretariat of the International Peace Cooperation Headquarters of the Cabinet Office of the Government of Japan. Please find the program with pictures of meetings and participants.
Prince Feisal Al Hussein of Jordan explains the importance of sports in resolving conflicts and building peace (01/12/2018)
HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Generations for Peace met with GPAJ President Sukehiro Hasegawa, Vice President Mio Sato and Secretary General Masakuni Tanimoto and explained the activities of the Generation for Peace (GFP) since it was founded as a peace-through-sport initiative of the Jordan Olympic Committee in 2007.
Ken Inoue of GPAJ makes a presentation in ASEAN Regional Forum workshop on preventive diplomacy. (29/11/2018)
Four principles of co-existence, namely non-violence, respect for diversity, sharing and caring, and mutual cooperation were presented by Mr. Ken Inoue of the Global Peacebuilding Association of Japan.
Fact-Finding in Preventive Diplomacy: Intra- and Extra-Regional Cooperation proposed by Naoko Kumagai at ASEAN Regional Forum (29/11/2018)
Naoko Kumagai, Associate Professor of International University of Japan, found fact-finding is indispensable for the reinforcement of confidence building and useful for preventive diplomacy measures, in particular early warning and mediation.
UN Justice Officials wanted General Wiranto tried for Crime of Humanity, while the Timorese leaders wanted Reconciliation with Indonesians (29/11/2018)
At the ASEAN Regional Forum held in Nanjing, China, GPAJ President explained that the UN had pursued retributive justice while Timor-Leste preferred restorative justice and reconciliation and friendship following establishment of truth.