United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (PKOs) are one of the best known means for the UN to carry out its responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Japan’s participation in UN Peacekeeping Operations, as well as of the creation of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) within the UN Secretariat.

During this period, what roles had been played by UN peacekeeping? What challenges are being faced by peacekeeping in today’s drastically changing world? In what ways should peacekeeping respond to them? What contributions could Japan make in its participation to UN peacekeeping?

In this symposium, we will discuss important issues surrounding UN Peacekeeping from the viewpoint of both the UN and Japan, with participation of prominent policy makers, practitioners, leading scholars and others from Japan and the international community.

Event: 20 Years of Peacekeeping Operations for the UN and Japan -Taking on New Challenges –

Time: 14:00-18:30, 5 November 2012
(Registration starts at 13:30)

Venue: U Thant International Conference Hall, 3rd Floor, UNU building

Organized by: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, United Nations Information Centre

Language: Japanese/English [Simultaneous interpretation will be provided. ]

Capacity: 300 participants available [*Pre-registration required]

Fee: Free of charge

Registration: Please send an e-mail to sympo1105.mofa@nissansha.co.jp by 2 November, with the subject “Registration for symposium on 5 November”, including your name, organization, title, telphone/fax number and e-mail address.

Inquiry: Registration office for the symposium (within Nissansha Inc.) Tel: 03-5570-3509

Programme

Opening Remarks: Mr. Koichiro GEMBA, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan (TBC)

Session 1:
Keynote Speech – “The Recent 20 years of Peacekeeping: A perspective from the UN”

Speaker: Mr. Hervé LADSOUS, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, United Nations (TBC)

Commentator: Prof. Takahiro SHINYO, Vice-President, Kwansei Gakuin University

Session 2:
Special Report “Japan’s Footprints in UN peacekeeping in the Past 20 years”

Presenter: Mr. Reiichiro TAKAHASHI, Director-General, International Peace Cooperation Headquarters Secretariat, Cabinet Office

Commentator: Mr. Ryoichi Oriki, Special Advisor to the Minister of Defense, Ministry of Defense

Session 3:
Panel Discussion “Future Challenges for UN peacekeeping”

Panelists (TBC)
– Mr. Hervé LADSOUS, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, United Nations
– Prof. Richard GOWAN, Center on International Cooperation, New York University
– Dr. Shinichi KITAOKA, President, International University of Japan / Professor, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies
– Ambassador Tsuneo NISHIDA, Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations

and others

Moderator: Prof. Toshiya HOSHINO, Osaka University

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