Thank you to Professor Takaaki Mizuno for inviting me to his final lecture at Kanda University of Foreign Studies. It was the most rewarding opportunity to talk with his students on this special day. I was impressed that his students were learning in-depth about contemporary international peace and development issues. The video that showed students’ discussions on behalf of the countries involved regarding conflicts occurring around the world was insightful and remarkable.
Franz Baumann “What to do to Stop the Earth Melts Down” (06/01/2024)
Franz Baumann, the new ACUNS President, suggests that while the climate crisis is, in fact, a fossil fuel crisis, the old mantra that mitigating global heating can be achieved without cost, inconvenience, or change is fading. Whatever Big Oil’s rearguard actions, the open question is: Before the climate tips, will whatever is politically possible prove to be ecologically sufficient, or will the ecologically necessary miraculously become politically possible? The answer is if only that plan from Rio would be resuscitated. Please click here for his full article.
Dr. Vanessa Abou-Khalil discusses Japan-Middle East Relations at the YCAPS Seminar. (23/12/2023)
Dr. Vanessa Abou-Khalil, the GPAJ member, discusses the historical evolution of the relationship between Japan and the Middle East during periods of conflict with the United States as part of the Yokosuka Council on Asia-Pacific Studies (YCAPS) Seminar.To access the full recorded discussion on 23 July 2023, please click on the link below: https://youtu.be/iUFQwLn6rdI?si=9SyFlxmEKRIOfNNS
Dr. Kubota discusses rebel service provision and displacement of civilians. (22/12/2023)
Dr. Kubota, the GPAJ member, in his recent publication titled, “Remaining behind in the community” discusses the rebel service provision and internal (non-)displacement of civilians in the former Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA), Pakistan. Please click here for a full story.
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.
Pearl Harbor Joint Japan-US Memorial Ceremony (09/12/2023)
Mr. TANIMOTO Masakuni delivered a special message from Mr. ETO Seishiro, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee of the National Diet of Japan, at the Joint Japan-US Memorial Ceremony at Pearl Harbor on December 8, 2023. Please click here for details.
UN Report “UN Transitions in a Fractured Multilateral Environment”
The United Nations has just issued a report indicating that many UN peace operations are now in a spate of drawdowns, reconfigurations, and terminations. For the full report, please click here.
Report on the 7th Tokyo Peacebuilding Forum (25/11/2023)
The 7th Tokyo Peacebuilding Forum was held on 25 November 2023 at JICA Ichigaya Building with a total of 62
participants (41 on-site and 21 online).
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.
“An African View: Contemporary Global Security Crisis and the United Nations” (10/11/2023)
A group of diplomats, government officials and scholars met and discussed the contemporary global issues with Mr. Ibrahim Gambari, a scholar and diplomat, who served as the Chief of Staff to Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari from 2020 to 2023, and the United Nations as the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs and Special Envoys.