PKO experts and specialists from Japan, China, Korea and Mongolia held a two-day workshop organized by Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung and the Korean Academic Council on UN System (KACUNS) in Seoul on 29th and 30th April 2015. They discussed how they can strengthen regional cooperation in improving their peacekeeping operations and humanitarian assistance activities. They agreed to establish an East Asian Forum on UN Peace Operations which will be managed by four co-directors: Professor Kyu-dok Hong, President of KACUNS in Republic of Korea, Professor Sukehiro Hasegawa in Japan, Professor Guihong Zhang in China and Col. Shambaljams in Mongolia.
Ramos-Horta Appreciated Consultations with Japanese Practitioners and Scholars on UN Peace Operations
The Chair of the High Level Independent Panel on UN Peace Operations, Mr. José Ramos-Horta, has written to say that he appreciated the insightful background information and views provided to the Panel as they enabled him and his colleagues to understand better the issues related to UN peace operations from a Japanese perspective. Please find here for summary records of two meetings held with the panel on 26 and 28 January 2015.
Brahimi Opens Geneva Consultation about UN’s Roles in Conflict-Prone States (19th March 2015)
On 19 March 2015, Ambassador Lakhdar Brahimi delivered a keynote speech to start an exchange of views by practitioners and scholars of UN peace operations held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The informal consultation meeting was convened by Stephen Browne and Thomas Weiss, co-directors of the Future United Nations Development System (FUNDS) and sponsored by the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation.
[PRAJ] Religion and Proactive Pacifism Discussed in Peacebuilding Seminar (14/03/2015)
Moderated by Professors Kurosawa and Yonekawa, Emmi Okada and Raymond Yamamoto made presentations on “Religion and Peacebuilding” and “Proactive Pacifism” on 14th March 2015 in the seminar of the Peacebuilding Research Association of Japan (PRAJ) held at Hosei University Graduate School Building. Valuable comments were made by Professors Higashi, Sakurai, and so forth. This seminar was organized by Professor Katsumi Ishizuka, Secretary-General of the PRAJ.
Martin: All UN Missions are Political
In his essay, Mr. Ian Martin who served as SRSG and head of UN peace missions in Libya, Nepal, Timor-Leste and other countries wrote that all UN peace operations are political in nature and there is a case for designer missions and expressed his views on the next UN reform.
Professor Hasegawa Calls for Integrated Application of Eastern and Western Philosophical Wisdoms in Peacebuilding (25th February 2015)
At his last appearance in the Peacebuilders Training Course in Hiroshima on 25 February, Professor Hasegawa engaged in a dialogue with Hiroshima peacebuilders about the need to integrate the teachings of Eastern and Western philosophical wisdoms in managing the conduct of human behaviors in society and in their relationship with the world.
“Kibeho Massacre” reviewed by Hiroshima Peacebuilding Associates (5th February 2015)
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.
[PRSJ] “Comfort Women” Debated by Three Experts (31/01/2015)
At the seminar held at Hosei University on 31 January 2015 and participated by about 30 scholars, researchers and students, three experts. Professor Takaaki Mizuno of the Kanda University of International Studies, Assistant Professor Naoko Kumagai of the International University and Ms. Momoyo Ise, former Executive Director of the Asian Women’s Fund, presented their views on issues related to “comfort women” engaged by Japanese soldiers during the World War II. (Ishizuka)
Akashi Chairs a consultation meeting held with Ramos-Horta and his Panel Members of High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations (26th January 2014)
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.
UN High Level Peace Mission Meets Japanese Parliamentarians (27th January 2015)
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.