Arbenita Sopaj, a member of the Board of Directors of the Global Peacebuilding Association, and External Relations Officer of the ACUNS Tokyo Liaison Office, highlights the pivotal role Japan can play at the Hiroshima G7 Summit. Please click here for her article in Japan Today on March 18, 2023.
Mr. Noguchi underlined the significance of the fact that Khmer Rouge crimes committed more than 40 years ago was finally punished, and justice was brought about, even partially. Of course, because there is no statute of limitations on war crimes or crimes against humanity, that should have a huge impact on the ongoing situation in Ukraine where countless war crimes are committed. It has become clear by the operation of this Cambodian tribunal that it is very difficult to escape the long reach of justice even after several decades. These are unfortunately useful lessons learned in this particular context of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
UN University Rector David MALONE held a talk with GPAJ Special Advisor Yasushi AKASHI and President Sukehiro HASEGAWA at the International House of Japan in Tokyo before his retirement on 28 February, and his successor, Professor Tshilidzi MARWALA, commences his work on 1 March 2023.
Please click here for the video recording of the online seminar on Japan`s international peace cooperation, which was held on Saturday, 28 January 2023 Japan standard time.
Professor HOSHINO Toshiya, Councilor of the Kyoto Peace Center and frequent participant of the GPAJ seminars, was appointed as a member of the United Nations Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) on 20 December 2022. He served as Japan`s Ambassador to the United Nations from 2017 to 2020. As he started his work with JIU in January 2023, he said that while the existence of the United Nations is being tested, based on his experience in academic research on the United Nations system and the practical work of United Nations diplomacy. He would also carry out his duties without prejudice and from a fair and neutral standpoint while working hard to make appropriate analyses, evaluations, and proposals, envisioning the ideal United Nations system in the new era.
Members of the Global Peacebuilding Association of Japan had a year-end lunch in Hiroo, Shibuya City in Tokyo on December 28 and visited a temple, Showin-Ji.
Dr. Ponzio explained the significance of the Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s Our Common Agenda (OCA) report issued in 2021. He identified major goals for addressing global governance challenges, notably conflict prevention and management for building peace, COVID-19, representation, and human rights promotion, climate action and governing the global commons, promoting a collaborative economy and global public goods, and confronting the implications from rapid development of AI technology. Please view the video recording.
Tokyo Peacebuilding Forum 2022 held on 6 November 2022: Keynote Speaker: Professor Tshilidzi MARWALA, Vice-Chancellor and Principal, University of Johannesburg and United Nations University Rector-Designate spoke about technology and interstate conflict. Please view the video recording.
The second session of the Tokyo Peacebuilding Forum 2022 was held to make a “Critical assessment of Japan’s policy on refugees and migrants”. Mr. Ken Inoue, Vice President of GPAJ, moderated the session, and Mr. Akio Nakayama, former Country Director, IOM Myanmar, and Ms. Khadiza Begum, Area coordinator of “Online learning support for Rohingya children in Tatebayashi City”. Please read more in detail.
