28 March, 2024
Japanese National Commission for UNESCO

　　The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945 with the aim of “contribution to peace and security by promoting collaboration among the nations through education, science and culture”. Japan joined UNESCO in 1951 after the war, and the Japanese National Commission for UNESCO was established one year later in 1952.

　　From the post-war period to the present day, there have been significant changes in the environment affecting us, and therefore, UNESCO’s initiatives, Japan’s involvement in them, and UNESCO-related activities taking place domestically¹ are required to undergo constant change in line with the particular circumstances of the time.

　　Bearing in mind the current international situation, the Japanese National Commission for UNESCO reaffirms UNESCO’s universal mission and makes proposals to the relevant ministries and agencies regarding the Japanese government’s involvement in UNESCO, and proposals to the general public² regarding UNESCO-related activities taking place in Japan. The expectation is that efforts will be made to achieve results based on these proposals during the current period covered by the UNESCO’s Medium-Term Strategy (2022-2029).

　　It should be noted that there are many initiatives that contribute to the achievement of UNESCO’s aims mentioned above although they might not strictly be considered UNESCO-related activities, and therefore, it is preferable for these recommendations to contribute to the development of a variety of initiatives, which include ones mentioned above.

[Background]

(Current international situation, etc.)

　　Serious situations that threaten international peace, such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in violation of international law and the Israeli-Palestinian situation, are accelerating the division of the international community, highlighting issues of health, food, and energy that are essential for human survival. Furthermore, in the international community, the so-called Global South is gaining greater influence, as well as frameworks of “South-South” cooperation and “South-South-North (triangular)”³ cooperation that cannot be conceptualized simply by “South and North”, making international consensus-building far more complex.

　　On the other hand, in order to resolve global issues such as conflict, poverty, climate change, and biodiversity, and to stabilize the world economy, it is becoming increasingly more critical for the international community to work together. In particular, cooperation with Africa and the Small Island Developing States⁴⁵ , which are in need of human resource development and financial support, is an important key.

　　In terms of the revision of the Recommendation on Education adopted in 1974⁶, in light of the social changes and technological advances that have occurred over the past 50 years, UNESCO held discussions from the perspective of building lasting peace and a sustainable society through education, and developing human resources who will contribute to these aims, resulting in the UNESCO General Conference adopting the “Recommendation on Education for Peace and Human Rights, International Understanding, Cooperation, Fundamental Freedoms, Global Citizenship and Sustainable Development” as a revised recommendation in November 2023.

　　In the scientific field, discussions on the regulation and utilization of technologies in cutting-edge and emerging fields are attracting increasing attention, leading to UNESCO, for example, adopting the “Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (AI)” in 2021, and discussions becoming increasingly more urgent regarding its use in various fields. Additionally, a decision was made at the UNESCO General Conference in November 2023 that the creation of a recommendation on the ethics of neurotechnology would be discussed with the aim of having it adopted at the UNESCO General Conference in autumn 2025. Under these circumstances, it is expected that an consensus under UNESCO will become even more effective particularly with the United States attaching importance to participation in international standard-setting and having rejoined UNESCO in July 2023.

　　Furthermore, while the omnipresence and instant distribution and spread of information brought about by the advancement of digitalization have made it possible to obtain information instantaneously, problems such as disinformation, bias, and information disparity have also become apparent. As underlined by the cases of distortion during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a need to once again promote policy-making based on scientific evidence and consensus-building that respects human dignity.

(UNESCO’s universal mission)

　　The Constitution of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO’s Constitution) states at the beginning of the preamble, “Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed,” but to this day, wars have not disappeared in the world.

　　However, precisely because of this situation, it is important to understand the meaning of the preamble to the Constitution of UNESCO, which was established to contribute to peace and security in consideration of reflection on the last world war in which countless innocent people were sacrificed, and to reaffirm UNESCO's universal mission.

　　UNESCO’s mission is its commitment to peacebuilding, poverty eradication, sustainable development, and dialogue between civilizations based on the premise of respect for human dignity and happiness, even amid various international situations. In addition, it is necessary to cooperate with the United Nations and other international specialized organizations, and to work in coordination with the Member States, in order to ensure fair and inclusive high-quality education for all people, promote science, technology, and innovation, promote the protection of freedom of expression, cultural diversity, and cultural and natural heritage, and set international standards for technological innovation, etc.

[Proposal 1: Japanese government’s involvement in UNESCO]

Demonstrating Japan’s leadership through strategic and proactive involvement

　　Amid the current international situation, it is important for Japan, which aspires to everlasting peace, to demonstrate leadership to UNESCO with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the Permanent Delegation of Japan to UNESCO, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), the Agency for Cultural Affairs and other related ministries and agencies working closely together, abiding by the democratic principles of human dignity, equality, and mutual respect, through the following strategic and proactive involvement.

(Implementation of appropriate support amid the international situation)

　　The current international situation, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine ongoing since February 2022, the heightened situation in Israel and Palestine ever since the terrorist attacks by Hamas and others that took place in October 2023, and other conflicts occurring frequently around the world, are a far cry from the peace advocated by the UNESCO’s Constitution. In this environment, UNESCO provides support that is closely aligned to the local people in the fields under its jurisdiction, and is giving careful consideration to future provision of support. Japan is also cooperating with UNESCO to provide assistance to Ukraine in areas such as culture and education, including the protection and restoration of cultural heritage. Although there are considerable restrictions on support in times of conflict, it is important to continue contributing to UNESCO’s support to the greatest extent possible.

(Leading discussions at UNESCO through intellectual contributions provided by Japanese experts)

　　As discussions on international standard-setting, in particular, are becoming more intense at UNESCO, it is important for Japan to take the lead in discussions at UNESCO by proposing new initiatives, etc. so as to appropriately reflect Japan’s social, economic, and cultural values in international rulemaking in order to ensure benefits for Japan, to contribute to the international community while taking into account the position and values of other countries, and to significantly enhance Japan’s presence.

　　In June 2023, at the Assembly of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), Chair of the Japanese National Committee for IOC, Prof. Michida became the first Japanese national to be elected as IOC Chairperson, and moreover, an expert from Japan was also selected as a g member for the Expert Group on drafting of a recommendation on the ethics of neurotechnology and is going to join its discussions. In addition, as natural disasters due to climate change have been occurring frequently throughout the world, Japan has been providing support in the form of application of its knowledge to bolster new efforts of disaster prevention that utilize AI and digital technology, as well as efforts to protect education and cultural heritage.

　　In this way, it is essential for Japan to lead the discussions at UNESCO by reinforcing the intellectual contributions of Japanese people, such as through sending experts to various intergovernmental meetings and expert committees, especially in fields where Japan has a plethora of knowledge and strengths.

(Strengthening strategic and proactive human resource contributions to UNESCO)

　　It is important to strengthen human resource contributions to UNESCO by promoting human resource development with a view to the future appointment of Japanese UNESCO executives through the strategic dispatch of government officials⁷ including those from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and those from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to the UNESCO Secretariat, as well as the proactive dispatch of trainees to the UNESCO Secretariat and youth⁸ to UNESCO-related conferences.

(Implementation of strategic support to UNESCO)

　　There is a need to provide more strategic support to the UNESCO projects through Japan’s voluntary funds-in-trust⁹ while taking into consideration discussions and practices in Japan and the actual situation of the UNESCO Secretariat and Member States, all the while collaborating with the UNESCO field offices. Furthermore, when collaborating with the UNESCO field offices, it is important to approach them strategically, taking into account the current status of the UNESCO field office reforms.

[Proposal 2: UNESCO-related activities in Japan]

– Activating the UNESCO-related activities network and strengthening public relations

　　In Japan, various UNESCO-related activities (including those relating to UNESCO designation programmes, etc.) are being carried out throughout the country, but in order to demonstrate Japan’s leadership at UNESCO, it is necessary to pay close attention to international situation, etc., and to constantly review UNESCO-related activities in Japan towards the fruition of UNESCO’s universal mission. To this end, it is important to strategically promote both the activation of the UNESCO-related activities network and the reinforcement of public relations, and to further promote and publicize UNESCO’s ideals and activities based on them through cooperation, collaboration, and mutual learning among diverse actors both domestically and internationally, including national and local governments.

(Activating diverse networks relating to UNESCO-related activities)

　　There is a need to energize the collaborations between the UNESCO designation programmes and diverse actors and generations, including industry and youth; between the various UNESCO designation programmes: between the designated regions, cities and areas in Japan and other countries in line with the purpose of the UNESCO designation programmes; and between private-sector UNESCO-related activities in each region and the various actors working for similar purposes. It is also important to strengthen collaboration between researchers, experts, educators, and citizens such as those involved in UNESCO-related activities in each region. The hope is that, through collaboration between these diverse actors, Japan will be able to develop UNESCO-related activities in areas where a broader range of interdisciplinary collaborations can be achieved, including scientific programmes such as those of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP), and the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, and will be able to publicize successful examples from Japan.

(Strengthening public relations through effective communication to improve awareness of UNESCO-related activities)

　　It is necessary to introduce the best practices of UNESCO-related activities and UNESCO designation programmes in areas where Japan has strengths, such as Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), which is promoted at all stages of education with UNESCO Associated Schools acting as hubs, disaster risk reduction, and oceans, and to raise awareness of these UNESCO-related activities and UNESCO designation programmes in Japan through collecting information and proactively communicating with a variety of media. In doing so, it is important to consider what kind of public relations activities should be carried out with a view to concrete collaboration with diverse actors such as industry and the general public where there is increasing awareness of initiatives relating to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and social issues such as poverty, hunger, and education, as well as collaboration with diverse generations including youth; to consider methods of communicating the achievements and results to the UNESCO Secretariat and other countries, including the UNESCO National Commission of each country; and to publicize what kind of public relations activities are being carried out. In addition, in terms of the public relations activities, the UNESCO associations located throughout Japan are expected to play a role in further promoting UNESCO-related activities in the region. Furthermore, another effective method is to collaborate with human resources such as science communicators who are able to communicate information in their specialized fields to the general public in an easy-to-understand manner.

(Promotion of UNESCO-related activities by youth)

　　In order for UNESCO’s activities to be passed down from generation to generation, it is essential to have a mechanism that particularly encourages the participation of youth, who will be responsible for the next generation. Moreover, it is important for the youth generation, which includes the Youth Committee that was established in April 2023 under the Steering Subcommittee of the Japanese National Commission for UNESCO, to form and expand their networks, to proactively contemplate UNESCO-related activities coming up with innovative ideas and to continuously put them into practice. To this end, it is necessary for various actors and generations who are involved in UNESCO-related activities and have diverse networks and wide-ranging knowledge, such as the Japanese National Commission for UNESCO, to strengthen their efforts to support these youth activities. In doing so, consideration should also be given to communicating these UNESCO-related activities to even younger generations.

(Proactive and continuous efforts of implementers of UNESCO designation programmes, etc.)

　　UNESCO has a designation system based on conventions (World Heritage (cultural and natural heritage) and Intangible Cultural Heritage), as well as designation and affiliation programmes that are not based on conventions (Biosphere Reserves, UNESCO Global Geoparks, UNESCO Creative Cities Network, Memory of the World, UNESCO Associated Schools Network, UNESCO Chairs, etc.) that are being widely implemented. In order to achieve the objectives of systems or programmes in line with UNESCO’s ideals, there is a need for local governments, schools, diverse organizations and individuals to make proactive efforts rooted in the local community, and therefore, it is important not only to achieve designation and affiliation , but also to continue to work on energizing both domestic and international networks and strengthening public relations as a follow-up to designation and affiliation.

　　Through these efforts, it is hoped that models on global issues will be presented from each field, and that each actor will play a role in establishing a forum for mutual learning both domestically and internationally and for collaboration between diverse actors and generations to take place.

1　Article 2 (Definition) of the “Act on UNESCO-Related Activities (Act No. 207 of 21 June, 1952)” stipulates UNESCO-related activities as activities carried out to bring to fruition the purpose of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

2　Article 1 (Aim of UNESCO-related activities) of the “Act on UNESCO-Related Activities” stipulates that the aim of “UNESCO-related activities in Japan is to deepen international understanding among the Japanese people, as well as foster understanding and collaborative relations between the Japanese people and the people of other nations, through education, science, and culture, (omitted), and to thereby contribute to global peace and the welfare of mankind.”

3　Developed countries and international organizations support cooperation between developing countries.

4　SIDS (Small Island Developing States)

5　The UNESCO Medium-Term Strategy (2022-2029) positions Africa as a Global Priority and SIDS as a Priority Group.

6　“Recommendation concerning Education for International Understanding, Co-operation and Peace and Education relating to Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms”

7　The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has dispatched four officers to the Bureau of Strategic Planning, the Education Sector, the Communication and Information Sector, and the World Heritage Center, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has dispatched one officer to the Bureau of Strategic Planning, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) has dispatched one officer to the Natural Science Sector (as of March 2024).

8　The definition of “youth” in the UN statistics is between the ages of 15 and 24, but there is no internationally established definition, and UNESCO does not clearly define youth, stating that it differs depending on the country or region. The Youth Committee of the Japanese National Commission for UNESCO encompasses those aged 18 to 29, while the 2023 UNESCO Youth Forum encompasses those aged 18 to 35.

9　Voluntary contributions from MEXT, MOFA and MLIT. MEXT contributes via the Japanese Funds-in-Trust for the Asia-Pacific Regional Educational Cooperation, the Japanese Funds-in-Trust for Science Projects for Solving Global Issues, the Japanese Funds-in-Trust for Strategic Support for Educational Programs to Realize the SDGs, and the Japanese Funds-in-Trust for the Cooperation with the Memory of the World programme.