Oku Inoue Commemorative Youth UN Visit Program Online Session

          Due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, which caused the Program’s actual visit to New York to be cancelled, the session was held online with UN Staff and the members of the Permanent Mission of Japan to the UN working in New York in order to promote the students' understanding and interest in the United Nations and the international community.

          Ambassador HOSHINO Toshiya, Deputy Permanent Representative at the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, delivered opening remarks, touching upon the current situation in New York and the meaning behind the Oku Inoue Commemorative Program. He also mentioned that the concept of “Human Security”, which Japan has been advocating for many years, is a very important aspect in the global response to the coronavirus outbreak.

          Following Ambassador HOSHINO’s remarks, Ms. OKAI Asako, UNDP’s Assistant Administrator and Director for the Crisis Bureau, talked about UNDP’s efforts towards the implementation of the SDGs and their activities in developing countries. She also expressed to participants how important the role of youth is in finding solutions to challenges that the international community faces today and urged them to actively participate in these global issues. She stated that in order to play an active role in the international community, they need a flexible and open mind that is always thinking of what they can do for society.

          Participants of the Oku Inoue Commemorative Youth UN Visit Program each gave a presentation of their own efforts and then asked questions on a variety of topics such as ways to promote quality education, ways to end poverty, and how to best spend their time during their student life. Ambassador HOSHINO, Ms. OKAI, as well as Counsellor FURUMOTO from the Permanent Mission of Japan who also attended the meeting, took turns answering the questions with regards to their own work and gave their advice to the students, resulting in a very productive discussion session.
 

 

^[1] Oku Inoue Commemorative Youth UN Visit Program
                  Since 2001, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, along with the joint sponsorship of the United Nations Association of Japan, has been sending brilliant youth who will bear the weight of the 21^st century on their shoulders to New York. The Program aims to raise up talented people who will contribute to the international community in the future through visiting international organizations including the United Nations. Program participants are students who have won the National Junior High School Essay Contest on International Understanding and International Cooperation, and the High School Speech Contest on International Understanding and International Cooperation.

          This Program was originally developed by Ambassador OKU Katsuhiko during his tenure as director of the UN Policy Division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Tragically, Ambassador OKU and his colleague, First Secretary Mr. INOUE, later fell victim to a terrorist attack in Iraq in 2003. In their memory, and to commemorate their striving for peace and the reconstruction of Iraq, this program took their names beginning in 2005.
 

2019 Program Participants are as follows:
 

       59^th National Junior High School Essay Contest on International Understanding and International Cooperation Award Recipients: