3. Peacebuilding News

　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.

　2014 Human Development Report was launched on 24 July 2014 at the UN University in Tokyo following opening remarks by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, UNDP Administrator Helen Clark and JICA President Akihiko Tanaka. Mr. Khalid Malik, Director of the Human Development Report Office introduced 2014 Human Development Report and pointed out the need to reduce vulnerabilities and to build resilience throghout the world.

　On 15 May 2014, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate José Manuel Ramos-Horta who is currently the United Nations’ Special Representative in Guinea-Bissau delivered a lecture at the invitation of the Sergio Viera de Mello Foundation in Geneva.

　On 14 March 2014, Timor-Leste Finance Minister Emilia Pires, who was member the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, explained how the new development goals were established with inclusion of the need for good governance and effective institutions as well as stable and peaceful societies as 10th and 11th goals of new MDGs. In her conversation with Rector David Malone of the UN University, she also provided detailed accounts of peace and state building challenges faced by Timor-Leste and other conflict prone countries. She emphasized the need to hold genuine partnership between host and donor countries by asking that the donor and partner countries talk “nothing about us, without us.”

　On 14 March, Timorese Finance Minister Emilia Pires visited the secretariat of the Japan Forum on International Relations and met with Mr. Kaoru Ishikawa, Senior Executive Director. Mr. Ishikawa informed the Minister about the role played by Japan Forum in fostering exchange of views on current international issues, while Minister Pires explained about the g7+ group of fragile countries aimed at self-reliance and cooperation.