We Are Tomodachi Autumn 2017

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6Izumi NakamitsuMs. Izumi Nakamitsu became the first Japanese woman to assume the position of Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs at the United Nations on 1 May 2017. Prior to taking on this post, she served as Assistant Administrator of the Crisis Response Unit at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) since 2014. She has many years of experience within and outside the United Nations system, including in the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, Executive Office of the Secretary-General, and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Born in 1963, Ms. Nakamitsu holds a Master of Science degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and a Bachelor of Law degree from Waseda University in Tokyo.Japan prizes multilateralism, and it has been a strong member and supporter of the United Nations since joining the organization in 1956. The Constitution of Japan may help to explain the country’s consistent readiness to invest in the work of the United Nations. The preamble states: “... We desire to occupy an honored place in an international society striving for the preservation of peace, and the banishment of tyranny and slavery, oppression and intolerance for all time from the earth. We recognize that all peoples of the world have the right to live in peace, free from fear and want.” All of these aims go to the heart of the mission and objectives of the United Nations. Japan is one of the largest financial contributors to the United Nations, and it has long been a leader in the areas of development and humanitarian cooperation. In fact, its government was one of the first to emphasize human-centered approaches to these activities by encouraging ownership of development processes by communities they affect. The member states of the United Nations hold Japan in equally high esteem on matters of peace and security, as they have demonstrated by appointing it to the Security Council on more occasions than any other country elected to the body. Japan is currently serving its eleventh two-year Security Council term.To tackle today’s profound global challenges and ensure a livable world for ourselves and coming generations, we need multilateralism and the United Nations more than ever. Through the United Nations, the international community has already achieved the landmark 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, whose 17 goals will guide our joint efforts to eradicate extreme poverty and protect the planet while “leaving no one behind.” Governments also acted through the United Nations to produce the Paris Agreement, which will guide our critical work to address global climate change. Japan remains one of the most important champions of these multilateral efforts, which will have a defining impact on the future of humanity and our planet.In addition, the United Nations offers a crucial means Contributed Article: Izumi NakamitsuJapan and the United Nations: Toward a More Perfect Partnership