On 07 March, the Embassy of Japan to Cambodia and CICP jointly organized the Public Lecture on “Japan-Cambodia Cooperation towards Peace: Lessons for the Global Community” by the Distinguished Speaker, Mr. Kano Takehiro, Director-General of the International Peace Cooperation Headquarters, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan.
H.E. Amb. Ueno Atushi gave an excellent opening remark covering the overview of Japan – Cambodia bilateral relations, revisiting the three decades of peace cooperation between Japan and Cambodia and warmly welcoming the decision to upgrade the relationship between the two countries to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Amb. Pou Sothirak, CICP Executive Director, who recalled the valuable efforts of Japan in peacebuilding highlighting the extensive Japanese ODA for national reconciliation in Cambodia, the exercise of Japanese skillful diplomacy in the context of the Paris Peace Agreements which was signed on 23 October 1991, and the unprecedented participation in UN peace-keeping operations by the Japanese Self Defense Force.
Mr. Kano Takehiro’s presentation focused on the new Japanese policy in advancing the Peace Keeping Operation in the context of Japan – Cambodia’s Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. He highlighted the concerns that Japan has over security flashpoints such as the South China Sea, the big power rivalries, War in Ukraine, and the crisis in Myanmar and called upon closer collaboration to jointly address these troubling hotspots. The key message from Mr. Kano pointed to how Japan intends to engage with Cambodia to advance the UN’s Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) for the common good of the global community.
There were frank and open comments and questions from the floor from which Mr. Kano gave excellently answered on various issues, such as how Japan intends to play a greater role in addressing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, assist ASEAN in operationalizing the Five Point Consensus to return crisis in Myanmar to normalcy as well as challenges to the Japanese PKO during UNTAC and what lessons learned. At the end of his presentation, Mr. Kano emphasized the desire of Japan to learn from Cambodian experiences from being a recipient to the provider of personnel to the UN POK as well as a pledge to collaborate with Cambodia in drawing lessons on how to achieve peace for the global community through UN–led PKO amidst the emergence of the new context of security uncertainty worldwide.
Amb. Pou Sothirak concluded by stressing that the young generation of Cambodia should remember the important contributions Japan has made to return peace to the country as this year we celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the enduring and excellent relations between Japan and Cambodia. He also expresses CICP’s sincere appreciation to the H.E. Amb. Ueno Atushi for the support and collaboration extended by the Japanese Embassy in Cambodia.
