At the Conference

Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu assumed her position as Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs on 1 May 2017. Prior to taking on this post, Ms. Nakamitsu 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, most recently as Special Adviser Ad Interim on Follow-up to the Summit on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants between 2016 and 2017. She was previously Director of the Asia and the Middle East Division of the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations between 2012 and 2014, and Director of the Department’s Division of Policy, Evaluation and Training, from 2008 to 2012.

Between 2005 and 2008, Ms. Nakamitsu was Professor of International Relations at Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo, where she also served as a member of the Foreign Exchange Council to Japan’s Foreign Minister, and as a visiting senior adviser on peacebuilding at the Japan International Cooperation Agency. Between 1998 and 2004, she was the Chef de Cabinet and Director of Planning and Coordination at the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, based in Stockholm, Sweden.

Earlier in her career, Ms. Nakamitsu was a member of the United Nations Reform Team of former Secretary-General Kofi Annan. She also held positions with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), including within the office of Assistant High Commissioner for Policy and Operations Sergio Vieira de Mello, and in UNHCR field operations in the former Yugoslavia, Turkey and northern Iraq.

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.

She is married and has two daughters.

Source: https://www.un.org/disarmament/high-representative/

Ms. Setsuko Thurlow, born Setsuko Nakamura, is a Japanese–Canadian nuclear disarmament campaigner. She was a 13-year-old schoolgirl at the time of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. She is a leading figure in the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). Her efforts around the world have been recognized by membership in the Order of Canada, commendation from the Japanese Government, Arms Control Person of the Year for 2015 (Arms Control Association, Washington, DC), Distinguished Peace Leadership Award (Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, California), Peace Ambassador (University for Peace, San Jose, Costa Rica), Hiroshima Peace Ambassador, and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Prize for the Advancement of Peace 2016 (London, UK), among others. She accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) in 2017. She has received honorary doctorates from the University of Lynchburg (2018), the University of Waterloo (2018) and the University of Toronto (2019).

As a survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima she has been engaged throughout her life in public education and advocacy for nuclear disarmament, the scope of which has expanded from local to international level over the years. For decades, she has warned governments that inaction is not an option: nuclear weapons must be totally eliminated if we are to ensure that no other city ever suffers the same fate as hers. Setsuko's courageous advocacy, sharp analysis and deep conviction make her a formidable opponent to all who claim that these ultimate weapons of mass destruction are legitimate instruments of defense.

Her professional activities included serving on the boards of the Ontario Association of Professional Social Workers (Toronto Branch), American Orthopsychiatric Association (New York), Yorkville Health Centre (Toronto), Social Planning Council of Metropolitan Toronto and the University of Toronto Alumni Association.

https://www.soas.ac.uk/about/setsuko-thurlow

https://www.icanw.org/setsuko_thurlow

Professor Kuroda is a Professor in the Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies at Waseda University. Currently, he also serves as Visiting Research Fellow at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development, as well as the Chair of Research Standing Committee of World Council of Comparative Education Societies (WCCES). He held positions at the Overseas Development Council in Washington, D.C., the World Bank and Hiroshima University. He has formally held various policy and administrative positions at Member of Japanese National Commission for UNESCO, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) Committees, Visiting Professor at the University of Tokyo. He was awarded U21 Award by UNIVERSITAS 21 in 2019 for his contribution for internationalization of higher education. Professor Kuroda graduated from Waseda University (B.A., 1989), Stanford University (M.A., 1993) and Cornell University (Ph.D., 1996). His most recent edited book publication is Japan’s International Cooperation in Education: History and Prospect (2022) by Springer.

Closing Ceremony Keynote Speech Abstract

Theme: Education for Peace – constant efforts of international society and Japan

In the international society, education has been considered an important cornerstone for peace. UNESCO was founded as an international organization to construct "the defenses of peace” “in the minds of men” and peace has been a historical normative goal of international cooperation in education for the world and for Japan. However, achieving peace through education is not an easy process. It requires the understanding, constant effort, and cooperation of many people and stakeholders. Let us reconsider the activities of Model United Nations from this perspective of education for peace.

Mr. Tetsuo Kondo has been the Director of the Representation Office in Tokyo for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) since 2014. He served as Country Director, UNDP Chad; Deputy Resident Representative Programme / Operations, UNDP Kosovo; Senior Humanitarian Coordination Advisor, United Nations Mission in Timor-Leste; Senior Advisor, UNDP Regional Centre in Bangkok; Special Advisor to the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, UN Mission for Assistance to Iraq, Amman, and Bagdad; Special Advisor / Senior Programme Advisor, Bureau for Resources and Strategic Partnerships; and UNDP, New York. Before joining UNDP, he held positions with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. 

Ms. Yumiko Horie is Director of Policy, Advocacy and Campaigns, Save the Children Japan. In 2002, she joined the international NGO working on international programs management and corporate fundraising, and since 2010 she has engaged in advocacy for promoting child rights in international development processes, ODA policy, as well as domestic policy. Previously, she has worked at Kyodo News Service, and at International Volunteers of Yamagata. 

Ms. Hiroe Ono serves as the Senior Deputy Director General, Middle East and Europe Department, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Headquarters. She supports the Director General and Directors for all programs developed and implemented in the regions, and is responsible for administrative matters in the Department. She has experiences in the field of Health and the Middle East, including assignments in Jordan and the Sudan Office, as well as Human Development related issues. 

Mr. Koji Yanai has served as the Senior Executive Officer of the Fast Retailing Group and a Director of the Board since 2020. He oversees sustainability communications for the Fast Retailing Group as well as UNIQLO global marketing including sports. UNIQLO is Asia’s largest clothing retailer and launched its Social Contribution Office in 2001. He joined Fast Retailing in 2012 from Mitsubishi Corporation in Tokyo.