GPAJ Seminar “Lessons Learnt from the Completion of Cambodia Khmer Rouge Trials” by Mr. Motoo NOGUCHI (10/02/2023)

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.

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Professor HOSHINO Toshiya was appointed as a member of the United Nations Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) (10/01/2023)

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.

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“UN Reform & the Summit of the Future” by Dr. Richard Ponzio (16/12/2022)

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.

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Tokyo Peacebuilding Forum 2022: “Critical Assessment of Japan’s Policy on Refugees and Migrants” (12/11/2022

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.

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Mr. KANO Takehiro will explain the current and future directions of Japan`s international peace cooperation activities in the GPAJ seminar in January or February of 2023. (09/11/2022)

Mr. KANO Takehiro, Director-General of the International Peace Cooperation Headquarters, Cabinet Office of the Government of Japan, met with Professor HASEGAWA Sukehiro and agreed to explain the current and future directions of Japan`s international peace cooperation activities.

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Japanese Parliamentarians and Civil Society Participants had a Information Sharing Meeting on UN Security Council Reform. (06/10/2022)

The Global Governance Promotion Committee (chaired by Sukehiro Hasegawa) and the United Nations Reform Subcommittee (chaired by Takahiro Shinyo), which is a subordinate body of the Diet Committee for World Federalist Movements (Chairman Seishiro Eto and Secretary General Masaharu Nakagawa), held an information exchange meeting on “United Nations Security Council Reform” at the House of Representatives members’ meeting room on 6 October 2022. It was attended by more than 15 parliamentarians and several participants from government and civil society organizations. From the GPAJ Association, in addition to President Hasegawa and Ambassador Takahiro Shinyo, Ambassador Tadamichi Yamamoto and Professor Takaaki Mizuno attended. Click here for details. (Reported by Tanimoto)

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