Akio Miyajima, Director-General of the Cabinet Office in charge of International Peace Cooperation Activities calls for the Continuation of Japan’s Contributions to UN Peace Operations.
Peacekeeping must strengthen civilian capacities for protection, as effective protection requires a whole-of-mission effort. To that end, developing comprehensive strategies that incorporate all mission personnel and the capacities of UN humanitarian and development actors is essential, as is close cooperation and support to regional organizations. Improving the role of civilian personnel in strengthening the capacities of host governments and supporting communities with the development of community-based protection plans are other important areas requiring further efforts.
In a message to the event commemorating 25th anniversary of the enactment of the peacekeeping cooperation law, the Japanese Prime Minister promised more active contributions to UN peace cooperation.
António Guterres, the secretary general of the United Nations, said that an American retreat from the world posed great risks on many issues, including climate change, international conflicts and the refugee crisis.
The Global Research Center for Sustainable Peace co-hosts Human Security Seminar “The United Nations in Peacebuilding: Is it Falling Short?” was held with guest speaker Mr Stephen Browne and commentator Prof. Sukehiro Hasegawa.
Professor Daisaku Higashi of Sophia University in Tokyo proposed Japan to continue supporting peacebuilding activities for South Sudan at the World Federation Parliament Committee of the Diet of Japan.
Experts and practitioners exchanged their views and suggestions on how to revitalize the UN system.
At the ACUNS annual meeting held in Seoul, nearly 20 Japanese scholars and experts of UN peace operation joined 250 other participants from all over the world and discussed how to revitalize the United Nations in human rights, peace and development.
Ai Kihara-Hunt, Associate Professor of Tokyo University made a presentation on her findings about individual criminal accountability of UN police personnel, who serve in UN peace operations.
Hasegawa calls for Asian participants to voice more actively their views and opinions at ACUNS meetings and contribute more to dialogue and mutual understandings across academics and practitioners of the world.