Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir: “Japan should develop its own unique diplomacy based on its own vision.” (NHK WORLD-JAPAN)

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mahathir, who visited Japan to attend the Japan-Asian Summit, gave an interview to NHK on December 15, and stated that while Southeast Asia has become a site of intense conflict between the United States and China, Japan has set itself apart from both countries. He urged that Japan should develop its own unique diplomacy based on its own vision. See his interview with NHK.

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2023 Trilateral President’s Meeting of UNA-CHINA, UNA-JAPAN and UNA-ROK (17/11/2023)

The meeting of the presidents of the United Nations Associations of the three countries, Japan, China, and South Korea, was held for two days, from August 21 to 22, 2023. It was held at the Guest House of the China United Nations Association in Beijing for the first time in four years. The participants actively discussed “Reform and Improvement of the Global Governance System,” “UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” and “Diversity of Civilizations.” From left in the photo are KWAAK Young Hoon, president of the Korean United Nations Association, WANG Chao, president of the Chinese United Nations Association, and Yasushi AKASHI, vice president of the United Nations Association of Japan. Please click here for the full report.

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“Global Crises and United Nations Response and Innovations: Lessons Learned, Challenges and Prospects.” (09/11/2023)

On 9 November 2023, Professor Ibrahim Gambari joined the Director of UNU-IAS, Prof. Shinobu Yume Yamaguchi, in a conversation on “Global Crises and United Nations Response and Innovations: Lessons Learned, Challenges and Prospects.” Professor Gambari is the former Chief of Staff to the President of Nigeria, the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations, and the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations for political and other affairs. In response to questions, he pointed out the lack of national and international leadership as the main reason for the world’s inability to address challenging interlinked global crises, including climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and conflict in Ukraine and Gaza. He thought the UN Security Council needed to be reformed to reflect the actual state of the world, consisting of more countries and populations that existed when the United Nations was created more than 75 years ago.

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Mr. Sponeck, Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq: “Mourning is NOT Enough.” (05/11/2023)

Hans von Sponeck, Former UN Assistant-Secretary-General and Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, expresses his outrage about the hypocrisy of heads of state and foreign ministers flocking to Tel Aviv with one-sided messages and adding the fig leaf not to forget humanitarian aid and completely ignoring the context, the ‘why’ it all happened. Please click here for his full message.

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