Events

On March 18th, nine students from Okayama Joto High School, located in Okayama, Japan, visited the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations to receive a briefing in English by Counsellor Hisao Nishimaki.

During the interactive briefing, Counsellor Nishimaki asked the students about the aims of the UN and their impressions of the organization. He then introduced the explanation of the UN by the former SG Dag Hammarskjold “UN was not created to lead mankind to heaven, but to save humanity from hell” and explained the three pillars of the UN’s work, inclusive of peace and security, development and human rights. Counsellor Nishimaki also touched upon the work of the UNGA’s Six Main Committees, and the importance of the year 2015 as the 70th Anniversary of the United Nations. He underlined important issues for the year, such as the accomplishment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), setting the new Sustainable Development Goals as part of the post-2015 development agenda, and the issue of climate change.

The students showed great attentiveness throughout the briefing, and during the Q&A session asked the Counsellor several questions about his career path as a diplomat, and about how the UN will address the issue of unaccomplished goals from the MDGs.