On 31 August 2023, UNU will host “Peacebuilding in the Wake of Ukraine and Sudan”, a conversation with Dr. Sukehiro Hasegawa, Distinguished Professor, Kyoto University of the Arts and former Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Timor-Leste (2004–2006). The event will start at 18:30 in the 2F Reception Hall at the UNU Headquarters in Tokyo.
The conflicts in Ukraine and Sudan have undermined the basic premise for the UN's post-conflict peacebuilding, which had been established over the past 30 years. A new vision is necessary that enables member states to heal the wounds and reconcile the differences in their views of justice and fairness. To build a stable and peaceful society in conflict-prone countries and areas, it is imperative for peacebuilding to regain its role by nurturing a sense of trust and confidence among all actors of the international community.
Dr. Sukehiro Hasegawa will join UNU Rector Tshilidzi Marwala to discuss the challenges faced by the UN system in promoting peacebuilding and creating lasting solutions to inter-state conflicts. How successful have international peacebuilding efforts been in the past? What are the conditions for building a lasting peace in Ukraine? What reforms are required to improve the effectiveness of peacebuilding institutions?
The UNU Conversation Series aims to foster audience participation; you are encouraged to engage with the speakers during the conversation and at the reception that will follow, where all audience members are invited to enjoy hors d’oeuvres and drinks while exchanging ideas and making new contacts.
Please note that this event will be in English. Advance registration (by 30 August) is required. Please click on the REGISTER button above to access the online registration page.
Please also note that entry into the venue will not be allowed after 18:45. Additionally, please be prepared to present identification at check-in.
About the speaker
Dr. Sukehiro Hasegawa is a Distinguished Professor of the Kyoto University of the Arts and the former Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Timor-Leste (2004-2006). Dr. Hasegawa spent 37 years with the UN and served as UN Resident Coordinator in the South Pacific (1985-86), Rwanda (1995-96), and Timor-Leste (2002-2006). He was the Deputy Executive Coordinator of the UN Volunteers in Geneva (1987-93), Manager of the UNV Electoral Officers in Cambodia (1993), and Director of Policy and Planning, in the UN peacekeeping operation, UNOSOM II (1994) in Somalia.
He was the Deputy Assistant Administrator for Asia and the Pacific at UNDP New York (1996-1999) before he became Special Advisor to the Administrator of UNDP. Currently, he serves as President of the Global Peacebuilding Association of Japan (GPAJ), Director of the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS) Tokyo Liaison Office, Director of the Kyoto Peacebuilding Center, and Executive Director for Academic Exchange of the UN Association of Japan.
He holds a BA from the University of Michigan, MA from the International Christian University in Tokyo, and a PhD from Washington University in St. Louis, USA.
