Nikki Haley, US Ambassador to the UN, is trying to reassure everyone in the UN that all the statements from the Trump camp are “just noise,” but Trump has now proposed in its budget to cut America’s contributions to the UN and its own foreign-aid agency by $10.1bn, or 28% from its previous budget. According to the budget proposal, US contributions to UN Peacekeeping operations will be cut from 28 to 25 percent of the UN peacekeeping budget.

　JCK Youth Forum Secretariat Chief Tenu Yokose and her team starts the recruitment process for participants whose travel expense will be paid by UN Association of Japan.

　Japanese book entitled “Ningen no Anzen-Hosho to Heiwa Kochiku” (Human Security and Peacebuilding” contains essays contributed by twelve scholars, diplomats and practitioners including former Ambassador to the United Nations Kenzo Oshima, Sukehiro Hasegawa, former UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General in East Timor and others. Sadako Ogata, former JICA president and UNHCR wrote the preface. Memorial symposium will be held at Sophia University on April 22, 2017. Click here for detailed information.

　Daisaku Higashi, an associate professor at Sophia University, explains in NHK TV news about how the Timorese political leaders reconciled and achieved peace.

　Former UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Director of Management, Akiko Yuge sings jazz songs in English, Portuguese and Spanish, in addition to teaching at Hosei University as Professor in its Department of Global Politics.

　Abe`s special assistant, Shibayama, visited Suva and obtained President Salva Kiir and SRSG David Shearer`s understanding of the Japanese decision.

　Ten students from Japanese universities met at Aoyama Gakuin University and made their policy presentations for critical review.

　Tokyo University Associate Professor Kihara-Hunt Ai examines the effectiveness of the UN’s accountability mechanisms and arrangements with reference to criminal behaviour by United Nations Police personnel.

　In his opinion article contributed to the New York Times on 3 March, former British Prime Minister Blair finds the Trump revolution is partly economic, but mainly cultural, and suggests that the center needs to develop a new policy agenda that shows people they will get support to help them through the change happening around them.

　Thakur points out the risk of falling victim to the Thucydides Trap, while Hasegawa warns the continued defiance of Kantian imperative and freedom will lead to armed conflict.

　Thakur believes Guterres is ready to stand up to Trump.

　At a reunion dinner organized by Mr. Takayuki Uno, nine former students expressed their appreciation of Professor Kitamura`s inspirational approach in education.

　Former Senior Vice Rector of the UN Univerity and UN Assistant Secretary-General, Professor Ramesh Thakur of the Australian National University advises “Not just Japan, but others too will have to conduct a more self-reliant diplomacy to cope with the ‘America First` administration.”

　Professor Hasegawa shared with the participants of training course commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan Immanuel Kant`s understanding of the nature of human beings and the prospect for building “perpetual peace” among nation states.

　UN Secretary-General António Guterres expresses his concern about the decisions that are undermining the integrity of the international refugee protection regime around the world.

　At its first meeting in 2017, the Global Peacebuilding Association members presented their views on the existential threat posed by the Trump Presidency to the United Nations and the UN peace operation in South Sudan.

　President of the Global Peacebuilding Association, Sukehiro Hasegawa, explained the importance attached by the United Nations Security Council to long-term institution-building, national ownership and accountability as critical to peacebuilding in Africa.

　In an interview conducted by UNIC Tokyo Director Kaoru Nemoto on 13 January, Hasegawa shared lessons he had learned from his engagement in UN peace operations and development assistance.

　The Economist calls on Donald Trump not to abandon Afghanistan.

　Antonio Guterres calls on all to join him in committing to peace, today and every day and strive for as a human family – dignity and hope, progress and prosperity.