Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, United Nations
“Of course, the world is changing dramatically, and not all are positive changes. But you have to always believe that you can be a change agent and you can indeed change the world – for the better.” - when asked what advice she would give younger students.
Our first member spotlight features Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu, an avid member of the International House of Japan (IHJ). She appreciates and values the platform IHJ creates for fostering deep dialogues among individuals from many cultures.
Ms. Nakamitsu is the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs at the United Nations and has been a member of the International House of Japan for many years. She became a member of IHJ after Mr. Yasushi Akashi, the first Japanese United Nations staff member and her former boss, encouraged her to join the I-House during a get-together at the I-House restaurant.
AFIHJ’s Research and Social Media Intern, Natalie Janssen, interviewed Ms. Nakamitsu and engaged her in a conversation about her time at the International House of Japan and her work at the United Nations.
Q: If you could summarize your experience with the IHJ in one word, what would it be?
A: Collaboration; Also, identity in the sense of Japan’s identity in the world.
Q: Looking back, is there a piece of advice that you have received that has been especially valuable in your professional and/or personal life?
A: Mrs. Ogata, former UN High Commissioner for Refugees in the 90s, [who wrote her doctoral dissertation at the I-House] said to find creative ways to solve problems and be a risk taker to find new solutions to new challenges. When the world is changing, we need to be forward-looking.
Q: What do you believe the role of U.S.-Japan relations is in addressing large global questions?
A: With the 80th anniversary of the UN and the end of WWII, we need to reflect on how to protect the international order on the basis of international law. These are fundamental questions about global stability. The world is shifting, and the United States, as the largest economic, political, and military power, is at the center of this massive shift. Independent of the governments, the civil society and citizens of the two countries should think about what they can do together for a better, more prosperous and secure world.
Q: What do you believe is the future of the International House of Japan and U.S.-Japan relations?
A: I hope that the future is active and proactive with lots of dialogue between the two countries that I-House can continue to facilitate and be the center of these key debates. It is not just a friendship society, but it is anchored in interesting policy dialogues between the two countries.
Q: What do you believe is the best way for the International House of Japan to navigate the current political climate, particularly in terms of its role in international affairs and relations with Japan?
A: Things are very unpredictable and unclear at the moment; we need to stay calm and not be driven by rushed emotions. We need to focus on data and evidence-based rational policymaking. I think I-House can contribute to such debates with longer-term interests, rather than rushing into trying to respond to the immediate situations.
Q: What is a question you wish people asked you more often? What would be your response?
A: I get asked a lot about being a woman occupying a senior position at the UN in international peace and security and the disarmament field. I hope people would rather ask me about the substance of my work on peace and security itself. I also wish people would ask me more often about the realities and the truth of the United Nations. The UN is not a utopian, idealistic institution. Rather, it was created as a collective security system to achieve a more secure and peaceful world based on the UN Charter, and through diplomacy and negotiations at the center.
Q: In what ways can institutions like the IHJ facilitate dialogue on conflict resolution?
A: It is a platform for people from the U.S. and Japan with wide-ranging expertise and perspectives who are able to look at the issues related to conflict, war, stability, and the world order. I hope that the I-House will continue to be that platform and a safe place for people to discuss difficulties, not just tackling specific topics on the surface, but also deeply seated in understandings of respective cultures.