Former Foreign Minister of Serbia and President of the UN General Assembly Vuk Jeremić on Serbia, Kosovo and the United Nations (25/03/2021)

If you are interested in participating in this event, please send your name and email address to Aleksandra Babovic at aleksandrababovic[@]gmail.com by March 22, 2021.

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Online Seminar on “Present at the Closing: A Personal Insight into The Last Days of the Soviet Union” will be held with Mr. David Chikvaidze as the keynote speaker and former Ambassador of Japan to the UN Tsuneo Nshida, Chair of ACUNS Lise Howard and Dr. Vesselin Popovski, Executive Director of the Centre for the Study of United Nations at the Jindal Global University in India as the panel discussants. Those interested in participating in this seminar are invited to register with Professor Ai Kihara-Hunt (aikiharahunt[@]g.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp). (02/02/2021)

(*Unfortunately, your browser does not support the pdf viewer. Instead…

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In his keynote address to the conference of Japanese parliamentary members` peace forum in Tokyo, David Malone, Rector of the United Nations University and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, drew a parallel between the UN emerging after World War II as a replacement of the League of Nations, and Japan replacing the failed leadership of the country in the same time period. Malone concluded that the Tokyo parliamentary peace forum can be useful in advancing the debate on actions that needed to be taken to address global crises and challenges.

 David Malone, Rector of the United Nations University and Under-Secre…

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Mr. Kimihito OKUBO, Founder of One Young World Japan Committee explains the significance of the One Young World Summit, which will be held in May 2022 in Tokyo, to be joined by 3,000 young leaders represented by 190 countries. Reported by Fujiko Amano. (05/12/2020)

On December 5, 2020, GPAJ held a seminar with Mr. Kimihito Okubo, the Principal and Founder of One Young World Japan Committee (his bio included at the end of this document). The idea of One Young World (OYW) was raised at the World Economic Forum in 2009 and it was founded in 2010. OYW, particularly through its Summit [which is referred to as “Young Davos” and which is also facilitated by “counsellors” like renowned politicians, activists, chief executive officers etc.] aspires to develop global youth leadership for future through jointly addressing and solving global problems and issues.

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The Primacy of Politics in UN Peace Operations” by Prof. Sukehiro Hasegawa (09/12/2020)

Professor Takahiro SHINYO`s Graduate Course for UN and Foreign Affairs Kwansei Gakuin University will hold an open ZOOM seminar on Wednesday, 9 December 2020 15:10-16:40 Japan Time with Professor S. Hasegawa as a lecture. Please click here for details and contact Ms. Elizabeth Gamarra (egamarra15[@]yahoo.com) if you are interested in participating in the seminar.

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UN Role in Afghanistan critically examined by Ambassadors Ghafoorzai and Yamamoto in an Online Seminar hosted by GPAJ on October 31. (15/11/2020)

Senior Afghan Government Official, Youssof Ghafoorzai, was joined by former UN Special Representative Tadamichi Yamamoto in examining the role of UN in Afghanistan. Ambassador Ghafoorzai also explained the significance of peace talks between the Government of Afghanistan and the Taliban group that has taken place in Doha, Qatar on Sept. 12. 2020.

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[Tokyo Peacebuilding Forum 2020] Ambassador Toshiya HOSHINO, Former Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations will be the keynote speaker this year. (14/11/2020)

Please click here for the program. If you are interested in joining, please contact Mr. Masakuni Tanimoto (tanimoto[@]tenaz.jp).

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ACUNS Tokyo will host Online Seminar on International Leadership on Saturday 7 November 2020, 15:00-18:00 (Japan Time) (07/10/2020)

This online seminar will be joined by Lise Morjé Howard, President of ACUNS and Professor of Government at Georgetown University and Prof. Kate Gilmore, former UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights. If you are interested in this event, please find the program below and fill in the registration form here.

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Arbenita Sopaj visits Tokyo and has a Lunch Meeting at Arabian Restaurant with Board Members, Elizabeth Gamarra, Ken Inoue and Sukehiro Hasegawa on how to cope with expanding GPAJ membership. (01/10/2020)

GPAJ Member, Arbenita Sopaj visited Tokyo from Kobe University this week. Arbenita has been an active member of GPAJ as one of the moderators for the zoom conference on “The Impact of the UN Intervention on Contemporary Kosovo” featuring Ambassador Leon Malazogu and others. She held an informal lunch with Sukehiro Hasegawa, President of GPAJ, Ken Inoue, Vice President of GPAJ, Elizabeth Gamarra, member of the GPAJ Board.

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Zhang Guihong:Future International Cooperation should pay More Attention to Human Security, Dignity, Equality and Freedom (23/09/2020)

In his article just published by China Daily on September 23, Director of the Research Center for United Nations and International Organizations of Fudan University, Professor Zhang Guihong, who is member of the Global Peacebuilding Association of Japan, recognizes the UN has a unique advantage in promoting universal values as well as global norms and ethics. Please click here for his full article.

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“International Day of Peace” was held in temples, churches, and parks throughout Japan on September 21st from 12:00a.m., and in Tokyo, Princess Akiko took part in Zojyoji Temple (21/09/2020)

In Tokyo, Princess Akiko struck the peace bell at the ceremony held at Zojoji Temple. After the bell-beating ceremony, Sukehiro Hasegawa, chairman of the Japan Committee for International Peace Day, explained the purpose of the event. Then, Sen Genshitsu, president of the United Nations Association of Japan and the head of Urasenke, and Yoshiko Higashikuni, Chairman of the World Federation Culture and Education Promotion Council, gave a speech, and Yuriko Koike, the Governor of Tokyo Metropolitan Government, gave a congratulatory address. Actress Mikako Yoshida then read a message from Fabrizio Hochschild, Special Advisor to the Secretary-General for the 75th anniversary of the United Nations. Please clickhere. (Reporter: Yuuki Watanabe)

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Farewell Lunch for Former Vice President Mio Sato (20/09/2020)

GPAJ Vice President Mio Sato will be appointed as IOM Office Director in Pakistan next month, and her successor, GPAJ Vice President Kumagai, organized a farewell lunch. It was most enjoyable to have eight members get together at the restaurant for the first time in a long time and talk to each other directly. Yumiko Kaneko, a UNDP staff in the Philippines and a GPAJ member, joined us. From right: Ken Inoue, Vice President of GPAJ, Mio Sato, Director of IOM, Takaaki Mizuno, Professor of Kanda University of International Studies, Keiichi Tanabe, Professor of Tokai University, Yumiko Kaneko, UNDP staff, Sukehiro Hasegawa, GPAJ President, and Naoko Kumagai, Vice President and Professor at Aoyama Gakuin University.

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“Turkey under the Erdogan regime” By Akio Miyajima, Japanese Ambassador to Turkey (12/09/2020)

Akio Miyajima, Japanese Ambassador to Turkey explained Turkey as a “rising power” with “volatility” and “resilience” in the turbulent Middle East region and beyond from various aspects including its diplomacy, military, domestic affairs, and economy. He emphasized that Turkey, a nation of 83 million people with tremendous potential holds the key to regional stability and global peacebuilding as the influence and commitment of the United States wanes and declines.

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With Grandchildren, Kenji and Alisah (01/08/2020)

Last week flying from Narita to Zurich, I successfully entered Switzerland. Visited my son, Stefan Hiroshi, and his family in Geneva. Later this week, my wife and I will try to enter Germany to meet our second daughter, Corinne, who has lost her husband recently and her two children. Here is a photo of my grandchildren Kenji and Alisah.

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