On 30 October 2026, UNU and the UN Association of Japan will co-host “The UN System in the Face of Globalization and the Role of Japan”, a special event marking the 70th Anniversary of Japan’s Entry to the United Nations. This event will begin at 15:00 in Elizabeth Rose Conference Hall at UNU Headquarters in Tokyo.
The United Nations General Assembly voted to admit Japan as a Member State on 18 December 1956. This was a pivotal moment marking Japan's return to the international community following World War II. Nearly seven decades later, UNU and the UN Association of Japan invite the public to reflect on Japan's 70-year journey within the United Nations, through the perspective of one of its most distinguished diplomats and jurists.
For this special lecture, UNU will welcome Ambassador Hisashi Owada, former Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations, and former President of the International Court of Justice. Ambassador Owada will deliver a keynote address, drawing on his distinguished career in diplomacy and international law to reflect on what Japan's membership has meant for international peace, security and the rule of law over the past seven decades.
This event will be in English. Advance registration (by 29 Oct at 15:00) is required. Please click on the REGISTER button above to access the online registration page. Please be prepared to present identification at check-in.
Please note that food and photography are prohibited during events at UNU Headquarters, unless prior permission is granted by UNU.
Programme
15:00 — Opening remarks
Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala — Rector of the United Nations University and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations (video message)
Mr. Yasushi Akashi — President of the UN Association of Japan; Former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations
15:15 — Keynote speech
“The UN System in the Face of Globalization and the Role of Japan”
Mr. Hisashi Owada — Former Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations (1994–1998); Judge (2003–2018) and President (2009–2012) of the International Court of Justice
16:00–16:45 — Question-and-answer session
Moderater: Mr. Sukehiro Hasegawa — Vice-President of the UN Association of Japan
About the speaker
Hisashi Owada is former Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations and Former President of the International Court of Justice. Ambassador Hisashi Owada is one of the most distinguished Japanese diplomats and jurists in the world. Born in 1932, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Tokyo in 1955 and earned a Bachelor of Laws from Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1956. He entered the Japanese foreign service in 1955, going on to serve in senior posts including Director-General of the Treaties Bureau, Ambassador to the OECD, and Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs (1991–1993). He served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations from 1994 to 1998, representing Japan at the UN during a pivotal period of post-Cold War reform and expansion of peacekeeping. He was subsequently elected Judge of the International Court of Justice, serving from 2003 to 2018, and was elected President of the Court from 2009 to 2012, playing a central role in the peaceful judicial settlement of major international disputes and the development of the rule of law among nations.
