Stories from the Field 7

Voices of Japanese Personnel Working in International Organizations
- Working to promote the health and protect the rights of women and youth -

The author discussing on topics such as the population issue with Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila (Photo: Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines)

The author (in the middle) listening to displaced women at the WFS established by UNFPA at the Cox’s Bazar camp for displaced persons, shortly after the outbreak of the crisis of the influx of so-called Rohingya refugees, on September 24, 2017 (Photo: UNFPA Bangladesh)

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) marked its 50th anniversary in 2019. The organization covers four major fields: 1. Promotion of sexual and reproductive health and rights, 2. Advancement of gender equality, with a particular focus on preventing and responding to gender-based violence, 3. Empowerment of the adolescent and youth, and 4. Analyses and policy recommendations on population dynamics. I love the mission of the UNFPA that seeks to eradicate maternal mortality and gender-based violence including child marriage by 2030. Since the principles of contribution to peace and international cooperation mentioned in the preambles of the United Nations Charter and the Constitution of Japan overlap, to me, working for the UN is deeply connected with my love of my country, Japan. The slogan of the 2030 Agenda including the SDGs, which was endorsed by all UN Member States, is to “leave no one behind.” My current goal is to continue contributing to the realization of the 2030 Agenda as a staff member of the UN.

After graduating from International Christian University (Tokyo) in 1995, I first worked as a newspaper reporter. Over time, however, I could no longer hold back my desire to be in a position to directly support those suffering from conflict and poverty, rather than a reporter. Thus, I decided to quit my job as a journalist to become a UN staff. My first working experience at the UN was in 2002, when I worked on reducing small arms as an intern at the UNDP Cambodia Office, during my Master’s at Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (NY). I was then accepted to the JPO Programme (see “(2) Enhancement of Human Resources and Intellectual Foundations for Development Cooperation”), and deployed to the UNDP headquarters in 2003. After having worked in several other UN/UNDP offices, in 2014 I joined UNFPA in Bangladesh, the fourth largest Muslim country in the world and a Least Developed Country (LDC) (see “Glossary”). The most unforgettable experience during my four-year plus assignment there was the lead role I played as Acting Country Representative of UNFPA in spearheading efforts to respond to the influx of so-called Rohingya refugees, described back then as the “world’s fastest growing humanitarian crisis.”

In August 2017, displaced people from Rakhine State in Myanmar flooded into the Cox’s Bazar district in Bangladesh. Cox’s Bazar, one of the poorest districts with a size comparable to Shinagawa City in Tokyo, suddenly saw the birth of the “world’s largest camp for displaced persons,” totaling 920,000, about 2.4 times the population of Shinagawa City. As a result, the availability and access to the most essential needs of the people – shelter, food, water, and sanitation – faced enormous challenges. Since 80% of the displaced persons were women and children, UNFPA focused on preventing deaths during pregnancy and childbirth, and preventing and responding to sexual violence against women and girls. One of UNFPA’s landmark initiatives was the establishment of Women Friendly Spaces (WFS) of women, by women, and for women that served as a “sanctuary.” The WFS is a multi-purpose facility where female psychosocial counselors and midwives support the displaced women, information-sharing is conducted on women’s rights, and skills training is carried out to help the women rebuild their lives. It was such a fulfilling experience to witness those women who had arrived from Myanmar in despair and fear gradually regain their smiles and liveliness by visiting the UNFPA WFS.

I became the Country Representative of UNFPA in the Philippines in October 2018. The Philippines faces countless challenges, including disparities between the rich and poor, and constant natural disasters. The country has seen the historic birth of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao as well. Since the Philippines is a middle-income country, the roles expected for the UN to play are different from those expected in an LDC. Therefore, I am still learning every day, but also feeling great satisfaction in my new role.

“A country can enjoy a ‘Demographic Dividend’ if and when an increase in the working-age population ratio results in further economic growth. This can only be achieved if the government ensures that its people have sufficient health, education and opportunities for decent work, together with the ability to save for their lives after retirement. Japan became a developed country because it succeeded in realizing the Demographic Dividend before it became an ageing society. If things are left unchanged, the Philippines might become an ageing society before it becomes a developed nation. The key is to invest now in young people and women.”

When I shared this message with Secretary of Foreign Affairs Mr. Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. at his office in the Department of Foreign Affairs in the Philippines, it seemed to have made an impression on him, as I saw him tweet my message right away. The Philippines is considered “youthful,” with close to half of its 108 million population still under 25 years of age. Whether and how these demographic issues are addressed more deeply in the upcoming Philippine Development Plan 2023 - 2028 is among the litmus tests for the quality and effectiveness of UNFPA’s technical assistance in the country.

Japan’s GNI per capita now is over four times that of the Philippines. My feeling is that an increasing number of young people of this abundant country, Japan, are now exercising their empathy and imagination about the situations of more vulnerable people around them, and translating such thoughts into action in their own ways. These actions can be undertaken regardless of your occupation, either working at a private company or NGO, or as an academic, a researcher, a diplomat, a journalist, or a volunteer. Becoming a UN staff is one option too. The main actors of the UN – the United Nations – are the Member States’ governments and individual citizens, and we officers are merely their public servants, but this sense of serving the UN is exactly what motivates me the most to move forward.

KATO Iori

Country Representative

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Philippines