Refugees
Courtesy call on Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs MATSUMOTO by Mr. Mazou, Assistant High Commissioner for Operations, UNHCR
August 22, 2025
On August 22, commencing at 12:55 p.m. for approximately 25 minutes, MATSUMOTO Hisashi, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, received a courtesy call from Mr. Raouf Mazou, Assistant High Commissioner for Operations, UNHCR, who is visiting Japan to participate in the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), in Yokohama. The overview of the courtesy call is as follows:
- At the outset, Parliamentary Vice-Minister MATSUMOTO welcomed Assistant High Commissioner Mazou's visit to Japan and expressed his respect for the UNHCR staff who support refugees and displaced persons worldwide. He also stated Japan’s will to actively cooperate in improving serious humanitarian situations by jointly promoting the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus (HDP Nexus).
- In response, Assistant High Commissioner Mazou expressed his gratitude for Japan's past support for the UNHCR and stated that he looks forward to further strengthening cooperation with Japan to address the worsening issues on refugee and forcibly displaced persons.
- In addition, the two exchanged views on international humanitarian assistance and cooperation with the Japanese private sector.