From New and Complete Dictionary of Arts and Sciences, Thomas Jefferys, 1754
The UNU Interactive Seminar on Global Issues is a timely and informative seminar series on global issues as they relate to Japan. Exploring topics from environmental sustainability to international peace and governance, the series seeks to promote and provoke informed discussion among Japanese academia, civil society, and the public at large on issues of global concern.
Seminar topics are drawn from recent or forthcoming books by UNU Press, the scholarly publishing arm of the United Nations University. Seminars feature a lecture by a distinguished scholar associated with the book, a commentary by a discussant, and an interactive discussion between the participants and audience.
Seeking to attract a wide cross-section of Japanese society, the program is conducted entirely in Japanese.
(Seminars listed latest first)
Seminar VIII · 2009.06.30, 15:00–17:30
Protracted Refugee Situations
Lecturers: Edward Newman (senior lecturer, University of Birmingham); Saburo Takizawa (professor, Toyo Eiwa Jogakuin University; visiting professor, United Nations University; former Japan representative UNHCR)
Discussant: Kazuko Ito (attorney at law; secretary-general Human Rights Now)
Programme (80 KB PDF)
Over two-thirds of refugees in the world today are trapped in protracted refugee situations. Millions of refugees struggle to survive in camps and urban communities in remote and insecure parts of the world, and the vast majority of these refugees have been in exile for many years. Such situations constitute a growing challenge for the international refugee protection regime and the international community.
In this seminar Edward Newman, co-editor of the recently published UNU Press volume Protracted Refugee Situations: Political, Human Rights and Security Implications, will present the results of a number of projects on protracted refugee situations, highlighting the political, social and security implications which arise from prolonged human displacement.
Saburo Takizawa, Visiting Professor United nations University and former Japan Representative UNHCR will present the findings of The Indochinese Refugees Study, organized by the UNHCR Japan office, which examined the integration of approximately 11,000 Indo-Chinese refugees (Vietnamese, Cambodian and Laotian), resettled in Japan over the past 30 years. The study assesses their integration process as well as the impact this resettlement has had on Japanese society.
He will also comment on "Japan's refugee regime under (re)construction", and in particular on the decision to start a pilot resettlement scheme from next year, and will analyze the latest trend (increasing asylum seekers, increasing recognition and a sharp increase in humanitarian status).
Following these presentations will be a commentary by Ms. Kazuko Ito, Attorney at law and Secretary General of Human Rights Now.
Protracted Refugee Situations: Political, Human Rights and Security Implications
Edited by Gil Loescher, James Milner, Edward Newman and Gary Troeller
Advance registration is required. To register, please send your name and affiliation to the Seminar Secretariat.
Seminar VII · 2009.01.30, 18:00–20:00
Food Security Control and Freedom of Trade
Lecturer: Mitsuo Matsushita is professor emeritus of the University of Tokyo and a counsel to Nagashima, Ohno & Tsunematsu, a leading international law firm in Tokyo.
Discussant: Aya Iino is assistant professor, College of Commerce, Nihon University and former advisor to the Mission of Japan to International Organizations covering WTO dispute settlement issues in Geneva.
Programme (80 KB PDF)
Every government enforces food safety regulations, including prohibiting the import of substances that may threaten human life and health. By contrast, the GATT/WTO provides for the freedom of trade and the principles of no discrimination and special national treatment, while international agreements such as the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Agreement and the Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement seek to prevent WTO Members from taking domestic measures in the protection of human life and health that are deemed excessive and too trade restrictive.
In his presentation, Professor Mitsuo Matsushita, professor emeritus of the University of Tokyo, attempts to cast light on this relationship between domestic measures for food safety and international disciplines by referring to actual WTO dispute settlement reports. Following will be discussant comments by Aya Iino, assistant professor, College of Commerce, Nihon University.
The WTO and Global Governance: Future Directions
Edited by Gary P. Sampson
Seminar VI · 2008.11.27, 16:15–18:45
Business-Society Interaction towards Sustainable Development
Lecturer: Mikoto Usui, Professor Emeritus, University of Tsukuba
Discussant: Makoto Teranaka, Secretary General (Executive Director) Amnesty International Japan
Programme (92 KB PDF)
For the governance of sustainable development to be effective and legitimate, the participation of a diverse set of actors is required. Given the enormous power the business sector can exercise in lobbying and influencing sustainable development governance, the challenge for this group is to envision ways to credibly and effectively collaborate with others. Key in this regard is the creation of a policy environment that ensures business leaders and civil society activists are able to collaborate and implement internationally acceptable standards for corporate social responsibility.
Join us as Prof. Mikoto Usui, professor emeritus of Tsukuba University, examines some of the main hurdles that must be overcome to forge a more legitimate relationship between the business sector and civil society in sustainable development governance processes. Following will be discussant comments by Makoto Teranaka, secretary general of Amnesty International Japan.
The Politics of Participation in Sustainable Development Governance
Edited by Jessica F. Green and W. Bradnee Chambers
Seminar V · 2008.06.20, 16:15–18:45
Interlinkages and the Effectiveness of Multilateral Environmental Agreements
Lecturer: W. Bradnee Chambers, Senior Programme Officer, UNU-IAS
Discussant: Akinori Ogawa, Senior Fellow, United Nations University
Programme (28 KB PDF)
There has been growing awareness in recent years that a major reason for the worsening global environment is the failure to create adequate institutional responses to fully address the scope, magnitude and complexity of environmental problems. Much of the criticism has focused on the necessity for greater coordination and synergism among Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and among policies and laws that take better account of the inter-relationships between ecological and societal systems.
In the fifth session of the UNU Interactive Seminar on Global Issues, Prof. W. Bradnee Chambers seeks to explore the gap in knowledge and policymaking that exists vis-à-vis the global environment and push our understanding on how to approach international environmental law. In so doing, he considers the assumptions around cooperation among MEAs, offers a framework for measuring the effectiveness of MEAS, and shows how the effectiveness of MEAS can be improved through a strengthening of interlinkages. Mr. Akinori Ogawa, Senior Fellow, UNU, will serve as discussant for the event.
Interlinkages and the Effectiveness of Multilateral Environmental Agreements
W. Bradnee Chambers
Seminar IV · 2008.05.16, 16:15–18:45
Sustainable Cities
Lecturer: Tokue Shibata, Professor Emeritus, Tokyo Keizai University
Discussant: Hidenori Tamagawa, Professor, Graduate School of Urban Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University
Developing countries are rapidly urbanizing and most of the world's population will soon be living in cities. It is crucial that the sustainable development of cities be advanced and Japan, as one of the most urbanized countries in the world, offers a remarkable series of lessons in sustainable urban planning.
Drawing upon his experiences as a senior planning official within the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Prof. Tokue Shibata seeks to appraise the Tokyo experience past and present, placing particular emphasis on the municipal management of refuse. Following the lecture will be a commentary by Prof. Hidenori Tamagawa of Tokyo Metropolitan University on Japanese perspectives towards the development of sustainable cities.
Sustainable Cities: Japanese Perspectives on Physical and Social Structures
Edited by Hidenori Tamagawa
Seminar III · 2008.04.18, 16:15–18:45
Climate Change in Asia
Lecturer: Yasuko Kameyama, Senior Researcher, National Institute for Environmental Studies
Discussants: Akinori Ogawa, Senior Fellow, United Nations University; Yurika Ayukawa, Climate Policy Senior Officer, WWF-Japan
Programme (36 KB PDF)
Looking beyond the Kyoto Protocol's first containment period, an intense and growing international debate over the future climate change regime has emerged. Countries in Asia have particularly high stakes in this regime given the region's high population, growing greenhouse gas emissions, burgeoning economies and vulnerabilities to the impact of climate change. Limited capacity, however, has hampered the participation of many Asian countries in the international debate.
In this third session of the UNU Interactive Seminar on Global Issues, Dr. Yasuko Kameyama of the National Institute for Environmental Studies examines the institutional dimensions of climate change and, importantly, identifies linkages between climate change and sustainable development. Commentary afterwards will be provided by Ms. Yurika Ayukawa, the climate policy senior officer at WWF-Japan.
Climate Change in Asia: Perspectives on the Future Climate Regime
Edited by Yasuko Kameyama, Agus P. Sari, Moekti H. Soejahmoen and Norichika Kanie
Seminar II · 2008.03.21, 16:30–18:45
International Water Security
Lecturer: Mikiyasu Nakayama, Professor, Graduate School of Frontier Science, University of Tokyo
Discussant: Yutaka Takahashi, Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo
Programme (32 KB PDF)
Water is essential for all and has no substitute. Unlike many other resources, water is not easily transferred from one location to another. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, two-thirds of the world population will face serious water scarcity by 2025. Indeed, there is heightened concern among scholars about the possibility of “war over water” erupting in the 21st century. Solving water-related problems requires a multi-disciplinary approach, including engineering, agriculture and social science perspectives. In addition, strong political commitment is required to avoid conflicts over war.
Join us as Professor Mikiyasu Nakayama of the Graduate School of Frontier Science at the University of Tokyo critically assesses the challenges and solutions of water resources in the 21st century, with a commentary afterwards by Professor Emeritus Yutaka Takahashi of the University of Tokyo.
International Water Security: Domestic Threats and Opportunities
Edited by Nevelina I. Pachova, Mikiyasu Nakayama and Libor Jansky
Seminar I · 2008.02.22, 16:30–18:45
Unintended Consequences of Peacekeeping Operations
UN peacekeeping operations have a remarkable record of keeping the peace between and within states over the past 60 years, but the inescapable fact is that peacekeeping operations can also yield unintended consequences. In this inaugural session of the UNU Interactive Seminar on Global Issues, Prof. Chiyuki Aoi of Aoyama Gakuin University provides greater insight and knowledge into UN peacekeeping operations and their unintended consequences. Following her lecture will be discussant comments by Noriyuki Wakisaka, editorial writer for the Asahi Shimbun.
Unintended Consequences of Peacekeeping Operations
Edited by Chiyuki Aoi, Cedric de Coning and Ramesh Thakur
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Page last modified 2009.06.11.
