Hasegawa Peacebuilding Academy

　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.

　Hasegawa: “Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Barack Obama have achieved reconciliation by demonstrating their magnanimity and finding more value in recognizing truth than pursing justice. Hopefully the leaders of Japan and its neighboring countries will succeed in making similar achievements.”

　At a meeting with members of the Diet of Japan, former UN Special Representative Sukehiro Hasegawa suggested a shift in emphasis in the activities of Japan Self-Defense Forces from operational to capacity building training in UN peace operations. Please click here for a summary of Professor Hasegawa`s presentation in Japanese.

　Moves toward integration, increasing economic interdependence, expansion of social networks are countered by even stronger nationalistic sentiment, historical baggage, opportunistic and politically driven policies, contending territorial claims and changing geo-political conditions.

　President of JAUNS and Vice President of Kwansei Gakuin University, Former Ambassador of Japan to Germany and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Professor Takahiro SHINYO lead a twelve-person Japanese delegation to the trilateral seminar.

　The Japanese government decided on October 25 to extend the Ground Self-Defense Force’s participation in the U.N. peacekeeping mission in South Sudan by five months from November 2016 to March 2017. Please click here for a full story.

　Chief Negotiator Gusmão insists the final delimitation of maritime boundaries is a matter of principle and sovereign right.

　Prime Minister Shinzo Abe welcomed Mr. Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, the Minister Mentor and Minister of Planning Strategic Investment, as the founding father of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. Prime Minister Abe took note of progress made in the Dili ferry terminal reconstruction and an agreement reached on the visit of a Japanese naval vessel to Timor-Leste.

　In his introductory address, President Kaoru Kamata of Waseda University mentioned distinguished contributions former President and Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão had made to peacebuilding of not only his country but around the world. Minister Gusmão, in a commemorative lecture delivered at the University, spoke of the enduring relationship between Japan and Timor-Leste recalling that Timor-Leste’s first Meeting with Development Partners, held in Tokyo in 1999, was “an indication of the important role that Japan would be playing in building our nation.” He spoke of Japan’s impressive post –war reconstruction as “an inspiration to the world” and highlighted Japan’s industrial and technological development, trade policies, investment in quality education and cultural features, as having enabled the country to become an important world power, after being “born out of the ashes and the trauma of war.” In a press release issued by the Government of Timor-Leste, Government Spokesperson and Minister of State Agio Pereira noted that “Japan has been a consistent friend of Timor-Leste and this recent visit further strengthens our strong relationship built over many years. The conferral of the Honorary Doctorate reflects the respect the Japanese people have for H.E. Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão and the mutual respect that characterizes the relationship between our two countries.”

　Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, President of the 15-member Security Council for October, said the Security Council would recommend to the General Assembly as new Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Mr. Guterres was the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from June 2005 to December 2015 and earlier Prime Minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002. (Photo: NHK)

　Professor Sukehiro Hasegawa, President of the Global Peacebuilding Association of Japan (GPAJ) and Rd. Kihara-Hunt Ai, Fellow at the University of Essex and member of GPAJ held consultation meetings with Director Ambassador Thoma Guerber of the Geneva Center for Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) in Geneva on 23 September 2016. They first held a two hour consultation meetings on UN Police reform and Japan`s policy change in its support of the UN peace operations.

　Compulsory Conciliation Commission (CCC) in the Hague decides to continue the conciliation process concerning the maritime boundary issue between Timor-Leste and Australia. Please click here for the PCA press release and other details.

　Former UN High Commissioner for Refugees and Prime Minister of Portugal is most favored to succeed Ban Kim-moon as the next Secretary-General of the United Nations. For a detailed written and oral report of the selection process, please also access here.

　After completion of the symposium and model UN sessions, JCK students visited ancient Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, the imperial office that governed the whole of Kyūshū during the Heian Era for nearly three centuries from 794 to 1192.

　On September 27th, Deputy-Secretary-General, Rise Katsuda informed the participating students on how to hold discussions on the causes of wars and make analysis of their implications for the current situations in East Asia as well as the world as a whole. (Katsuda)

　Chairman of UN Association of Japan, Dr. Sen Genshitsu, Master of the Tea Ceremony, opened the 7th Japan-China-Republic of Korea Youth Forum at Seinan Gakuen University in Fukuoka. (Nagamine)