Ambassador Hanada finds Timor-Leste in a critical stage of transition to sustainable development, while Crown Agent staff Ms. Saito advocates the result based financing (RBF).

　On 9th October 2015, the Global Peacebuilding Academy will co-organize a seminar on international terrorism with the Graduate Program on Human Security, the University of Tokyo (HSP). In this seminar, Associate Professor Yasuhiro Ueki of Sophia University will lecture entitled “Challenges of UN Strategy on International Terrorism”; afterward both Professor Saburo Takizawa of Toyo Eiwa University and Professor Hasegawa will comment his presentation respectively. For specific information, please see here on the HSP website.

　Mr. Shigeki Takizaki, Deputy Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan made an informative presentation on territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Both island and maritime claims are made by several states including the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Their disputes concern in particular both the Spratly and the Paracel islands. The interests of different nations include securing fishing areas around the archipelagos; the potential exploitation of crude oil and natural gas under the waters of various parts of the South China Sea.

　On 11th July 2015, Mr. Shigeki Takizaki will speak about the challenges for peacebuilding in the South China Sea. After his speech, Ms. Ai Kihara-Hunt will make a presentation on the individual criminal accountability of the UN Police. The provisional program of this seminar can be found here. If you are interested in participating in this seminar, please send your message to Professor Katsumi Ishizuka (石塚 勝美), Secretary-General of the Global Peacebuilding Forum of Japan (ishizuka@kyoei.ac.jp).

　Ambassador Oshima in his one-hour presentation to the participants of a peacebuilding seminar held at Hosei University on May 30, 2015 appraised some important achievements made in the ‘Outcome Document’ of September 2005, on the occasion of the summit meeting commemorating the UN 50th anniversary. They included the establishment of Peace-building Commission (PBC), the Human Rights Council (UNHRC), and the formal launching of new concepts such as ‘Responsibility to Protect’ and ‘Human Security’. (Click here for the rest.)

　On 30th May 2015, Ambassador Kenzo Oshima will speak about the changes taking place in the international regime during the period of 70 years since the end of World War II. Prior to his speech, Professor Masako Yonekawa will make a brief presentation on the nature of complex emergencies in Rwanda and Congo. The provisional program of this seminar can be downloaded here. If you are interested in participating in this seminar, please send your message to Professor Katsumi Ishizuka (石塚 勝美), Secretary-General of the Peacebuilding Research Association of Japan (ishizuka@kyoei.ac.jp).

　Moderated by Professors Kurosawa and Yonekawa, Emmi Okada and Raymond Yamamoto made presentations on “Religion and Peacebuilding” and “Proactive Pacifism” on 14th March 2015 in the seminar of the Peacebuilding Research Association of Japan (PRAJ) held at Hosei University Graduate School Building. Valuable comments were made by Professors Higashi, Sakurai, and so forth. This seminar was organized by Professor Katsumi Ishizuka, Secretary-General of the PRAJ.

　The 13th seminar of the Peacebuilding Research Association of Japan (PRAJ) will have two speakers: Emmi Okada who will speak on “Religion and Peacebuilding” and Raymond Yamamoto on “Proactive Pacifism – The Securitization of Japan’s Foreign Policy”. The seminar will take place on Saturday, 14 March 2015 from 15:00 to 17:30 at Hosei University, Graduate School Building, 2nd Floor, Room 201. For participation in the seminar, please send your name to Professor Katsumi Ishizuka (石塚 勝美), Secretary-General of the Peacebuilding Research Association of Japan (**this seminar already ended successfully, thank you). As for the presentation by Emmi Okada, you can get information about her research in advance from the website of the Cabinet Office.

　At the seminar held at Hosei University on 31 January 2015 and participated by about 30 scholars, researchers and students, three experts. Professor Takaaki Mizuno of the Kanda University of International Studies, Assistant Professor Naoko Kumagai of the International University and Ms. Momoyo Ise, former Executive Director of the Asian Women’s Fund, presented their views on issues related to “comfort women” engaged by Japanese soldiers during the World War II. (Ishizuka)