The moderator of the thematic session on the “Possibility for Constitutional Reform of the United Nations Charter,” Professor Takahiro SHINYO, Former Ambassador to the United Nations and Germany explained that the session was convened to examine the possibility for a fundamental reform of the UN. He then introduced the two presenters, Dr. S.M. SHAREI, Executive Director of the Center for United Nations Constitutional Research, Brussels, and Professor ZHANG Guihong, Director, Center for UN Studies, Fudan University, Shanghai. The moderator informed the participants that Dr. Vesselin POPOVSKI, Professor and Vice Dean, Jindal Global Law School, O.P. Jindal Global University, Haryana, India and Professor Sukehiro HASEGAWA, Executive Director for Academic Exchange, UN Association of Japan will comment on the presentations. Ms. Amishi AGRAWAL, University of Tokyo, acted as a rapporteur.

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Following the presentations by German Ambassador Lina Lepel on peacebuilding and French Ambassador Laurent PIC on peacekeeping operations, Professor SHINYO mentioned the need to establish the missing link between peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations and noted the importance of peacemaking during the cycle of conflict prevention, peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding.

Ambassador of France to Japan, H.E. Mr. Laurent PIC said that French contributions to UN peacekeeping operations (PKOs) reflects France`s strong commitment to the peaceful resolution of conflicts. The Department of Peace Operations headed by a senior French official, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, was carrying out vital peacekeeping activities. With threats to peace in the world proliferating and crises growing increasingly complex, France provided the UN with several hundred troops that were deployed on the ground in several peacekeeping operations.

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