- UNITAR Executive Director Nikhil Seth visited Hiroshima and Tokyo, Japan from 25 March to 28 March 2024.
- The four-day visit to Japan includes his participation in the Peace Walk Festival, the signing ceremony of the eighth Special Grant Agreement with the Hiroshima Prefectural Government, the opening ceremony of the new Hiroshima Office, and courtesy visits to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, local government offices, stakeholders from the public and private sector in Japan, and meetings with UNITAR supporting members.
UNITAR
19 April 2024, Hiroshima, Japan – The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Executive Director and United Nations Assistant Secretary-General Nikhil Seth visited Japan from 25 to 28 March 2024.
This visit aimed to strengthen cooperation with UNITAR stakeholders in Japan, especially in Hiroshima and Tokyo, and contribute to further operational development at the newly relocated Hiroshima Office, which celebrated its 20th-anniversary last year.
March 25: Peace Walk Festival Hiroshima and Courtesy Visits in Hiroshima
UNITAR
On 25 March 2024, Mr. Seth joined 20 youth participants in Hiroshima for the “Peace Walk Festival". The day kicked off with an orientation followed by the laying of a wreath at the Cenotaph, an atomic bomb memorial monument in the Peace Memorial Park, to pay their respect and offer prayers. Afterwards, Mr. Seth toured the Peace Memorial Park with the students and discussed peace-related topics. During the afternoon session, Mr Seth, UNITAR Division for Prosperity Director Ms Mihoko Kumamoto and UNITAR Hiroshima Office Head Ms Chisa Mikami listened to the youth’s creative presentations on peacebuilding ideas and initiatives.
On the same day, Mr Seth paid a courtesy visit to Hiroshima City Mayor Mr Kazumi Matsui, expressing gratitude for the support from Hiroshima City to the UNITAR Hiroshima office. He also conveyed his intention to revisit Hiroshima on August 6 this year to commemorate the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and expressed eagerness for further cooperation with Hiroshima City.
March 26: Renewal of Grant Agreement with Hiroshima Prefectural Government and Meetings
UNITAR
On March 26, Mr Seth paid a courtesy visit to Hiroshima Prefecture Governor Mr Hidehiko Yuzaki and attended the signing ceremony for the 8th Special Purpose Grant Agreement between UNITAR and Hiroshima Prefecture for fiscal years 2024 to 2026. During the signing ceremony, UNITAR introduced activities aimed at realizing a sustainable and prosperous world and expressed gratitude to Hiroshima Prefecture for supporting these activities.
On the same day, Mr. Seth paid a courtesy visit to Mr. Takehiro Kagawa, Chairperson of the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation, and visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.
Read more about the signing ceremony between UNITAR and Hiroshima Prefectural Government.
March 27: New UNITAR Hiroshima Office Opening Ceremony
UNITAR
March 27 marked the opening ceremony of the new UNITAR Hiroshima office. During the Executive Director’s opening remarks, he summarized the 20-year history of the Hiroshima Office and outlined prospects for the newly relocated office. The Executive Director expressed hope for UNITAR’s new activities and initiatives to continue building towards a sustainable and prosperous world.
The opening ceremony of the new office was attended by Governor Mr Hidehiko Yuzaki of Hiroshima Prefecture, Deputy Mayor Mr Kenichi Susume of Hiroshima City, the Federation of Hiroshima Prefectural Assembly Members for Supporting UNITAR and Chairperson Mr Toshihiro Hiyama, UNITAR Association Chairman Mr Shigeki Sasaki, UNITAR Prosperity Division Director Ms Mihoko Kumamoto, and Head of UNITAR Hiroshima Office Ms Chisa Mikami and the stakeholders supporting UNITAR and its activities.
You can see the spectacular views from this [training] room and the commanding wisdom of Hiroshima, showing the museum, showing the peace path, showing the Peace Monument, showing the peace plan and radiating the message of Hiroshima. Therefore, I expect a greater focus from this office on issues of peace, including nuclear disarmament issues, which are very close to the Japanese foreign policy establishment and very close to the people of Hiroshima, where they focus so much on peace and resilience. I hope we'll be able to focus much more on these issues in the future. And of course, increase our partnerships in Hiroshima, with civil society, with academia, with the business sector, because that's how SDGs will ultimately get achieved. – Nikhil Seth, UNITAR Executive Director
March 28: Courtesy visits in Tokyo
On March 28, Mr. Seth arrived in Tokyo and paid a courtesy visit to State Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Yoshifumi Tsuge at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr. Seth expressed gratitude for the continuous support of the Government and People of Japan to UNITAR and declared intentions to further develop the collaboration between UNITAR and Japan. This was followed by the meeting with Mr. Toshihiro Kitamura, Deputy Director-General / Deputy Assistant Minister of the Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau. Mr. Seth also paid a courtesy visit to Mr. Takayoshi Yamamoto, Secretary to the Prime Minister of Japan.
In the afternoon, Mr Seth met with UNITAR Board of Trustee Ms Akiko Yuge, and Division for Prosperity’s Advisory Board Member Mr Tetsuo Kondo to discuss supplemental strategies UNITAR can implement to reach Japan and demonstrate the importance of training programmes for achieving Sustainable Development Goals. Mr. Seth also paid a courtesy visit to the Parliamentarians selected from Hiroshima Prefecture.
During his visit to Japan, Mr. Seth also met with various stakeholders from government, private and public sector, NGOs and universities. UNITAR’s commitment to disseminating the message of peace and prosperity continues with the support of the Government and People of Japan.
About UNITAR
The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is a dedicated training arm of the United Nations. In 2022, UNITAR trained over 395,000 learners around the world to support their actions for a better future. UNITAR has a global presence, with offices in Geneva, Hiroshima, New York and Bonn and networks around the world.
UNITAR Division for Prosperity offers world-class learning and knowledge-sharing services to present and future change-makers from around the world. Through our innovative training and learning opportunities – built on robust adult learning principles – we seek to promote sustainable, inclusive and just economic development and catalyse the creation of decent employment opportunities for all.
UNITAR Division for Prosperity supports youth and women in particular to address growing inequalities. We work in solidarity with diverse partners at the local, regional and global levels to propel the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals and achieve an inclusive, sustainable and prosperous world.