The Hiroshima peacebuilding associates from Japan and 12 countries reviewed the events that took place in the Kibeho camp in Rwanda for internally displaced persons in April 1995. Fifteen Japanese associates were joined by the equal number of participants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Somalia, and Vietnam.

　Chaired by Mr. Yasushi Akashi, Vice President of the UN Association of Japan and participated by Former Ambassador to the UN, Mr. Kenzo Oshima along with other 18 Japanese scholars and experts met former President José Ramos-Horta, Chair of the High-Level Independent Panel and two of his panel members and discussed how to improve UN peace operations.

　On 27th January, Mr. Ichiro Aisawa, former Senior Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Member, the Board of Directors of UN Association of Japan convened a meeting of Japanese parliamentarians including Mr. Norio MITSUYA, former Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan and Mr. Seiji KIHARA, former Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Liberal Democratic Party, Mr. Satsuki EDA, former Minister of Justice and President of the House of Councilors, and Mr. Motohiro ONO, former Vice-Minister of Defense of the Democratic Party Komeito. They were joined by Mr. Kiyohiko TOYAMA of Komeito who was former Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs.

　On 26th January 2015, former President José Ramos-Horta, Chair of the High-Level Independent Panel and two members, Mr. Ian Martin and Ms. Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu met with Japanese scholars and practitioners of peacekeeping and Special Political Missions (SPM) at the United Nations University. More than 30 persons participated in the informal consultation and exchanged their views on UN peace operations.

　On 25 January 2015, former President of Timor-Leste and Nobel Prize Laureate José Ramos-Horta asked Professor Sukehiro Hasegawa to continue to serve as his personal adviser. Professor Hasegawa had acted as the Special Adviser to Mr. José Ramos-Horta when he was the President of the Republic of Timor-Leste from 2007 to 2012.

　A Timorese student, Orlando da Silva Casimiro, visited Tokyo to prepare for his study in Japan. He visited the University of Tokyo, Waseda University and Hosei University. Orlando also met Professor Hasegawa and talked about his ambition to enter a graduate school in Japan. (Shotaro Fujita)

　Dear former students of the Seminar Class. With the arrival of the New Year, I thank you for all your contributions in ideas and efforts to make fruitful our learning of life. I hope you are blessed with sunshine of laughter, new beam of energy and raindrops of happiness as you step into another brand New Year. May the New Year give you the strength to face the new challenges of life and courage to adjust your sail so as to take every situation to your stride. I wish you all the best and happiness. (Sukehiro Hasegawa)

　Chinese, Korean and other visitors from abroad visited the historical sites in Kyoto before and after the Asian Seminar.

　The 14th East Asian Seminar on the UN System was opened by Professor Keiko Oizumi of the Japan Association for UN Studies (JAUNS), Ambassador Chen Jian, President of the China Academic Net for UN Studies (CANUNS) and former Foreign Minister Han Sung Joo, Chairman of the Korea Academic Council on the UN System (KACUNS) on 13 December 2014 at Doshisha University in Kyoto.

　The Rector of the UN University, David Malone, addressed the issues surrounding the United Nations and East Asia before the former practitioners and scholars from Japan, China and South Korea who gathered in Kyoto on December 12 for their annual seminar on the UN system.

　On 20 November 2014, JICA held an international symposium which looked at Japan`s ODA from historical, political-economic and comparative perspectives. Professor Hasegawa called for conceptualizing Japanese aid in a global governance perspective.

　At the Seoul PKO Conference held on 13 November 2014, Korean dancers performed with their fans in a superb manner.

　The 2014 PKO International Conference was held at Sookmyung Women`s University Centennial Memorial Hall on 13 November 2014. At the conference organize by the Korea Peacekeeping Operations Center, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and Korea AcaSedemic Council on the United Nations System, Professor Sukehiro Hasegawa spoke about the implications of financial, troop and civilian contributions made by Japan to UN peacekeeping operations since Japan became the member of the United Nations in 1956.

　Professor Sukehiro Hasegawa delivered a lecture to international students from Afghanistan, Indonesia, Mongolia and other Asian countries on heritage of peace doctrines at Doshisha University in Kyoto. Students belonged to a seminar class administered by Professor Eiji Oyamada.

　HaLuz, a student NGO in Japan (former LoRoSHIP) visited Timor-Leste for three weeks from 25 August to 13 September 2014 and enjoyed homestays in Timorese houses. (Shotaro Fujita, Hosei University)

　Professor Sukehiro Hasegawa chaired a panel discussion on the senior mission leadership held on 22 October in Cairo, Egypt. Funded by the Government of Japan, the 9th AU Senior Mission Leadership (SML) course was organized by the African Union and hosted by the Cairo Regional Centre for Training on Conflict Resolution & Peacekeeping in Africa (CCCPA). As a mentor, Professor Hasegawa also delivered lectures on peace mission leadership, perspective of a SRCC, integrated mission planning and peacebuilding mission during his stay in Cairo for five days.

　The Fourth Library Talk was opened by UNU’s Library Chief Mayako Matsui and chaired by Professor Sukehiro Hasegawa. Dr. Vesselin Popovski then outlined some key shifts that have taken place in the legislative, executive and judiciary roles of the UN Security Council since the end of the Cold War which are taken up in the new volume “The Security Council as Global Legislator”, edited by himself and Trudy Fraser (Routledge, 2014). (Emmi Okada, UNU Junior Fellow)

　The United Nations University will hold a library talk on 10 October to discuss a newly published book, “Security Council as Global Legislator”, edited by Vesselin Popovski and Trudy Fraser (Routledge, 2014). The book will be introduced by Dr. Vesselin Popovski and commented by UNU Rector, Dr. David Malone. The meeting will be chaired by Professor Sukehiro Hasegawa.

　Mr. Yoshitaka Hanada (花田 吉隆) has just returned to Japan having completed his assignment as Japanese Ambassador to Timor-Leste for nearly three years from October 2011 to August 2014. He held a conversation with Professor Sukehiro Hasegawa, former Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Timor-Leste (May 2004~September 2006). Ambassador Hanada discussed economic progress and other improvements made in Timor-Leste as well as challenges faced by the country.

　Twenty best and brightest Japanese students joined their counterparts from China and Republic of Korea in Xian, China, from 15 to 19 September and held a symposium and model United Nations meetings. It is sponsored jointly by the UN Associations of Japan, China and Republic of Korea and follows the fourth forum held in Sapporo last year. The students recognized the importance of universal values and principles and demonstrated their originality and commitment to promoting harmony and partnership in East Asia.