Tokyo Statement of Principles for Peace and Development

I. Introduction

The High Level Symposium on Peace and Development: Problems of Conflict in Africa, co-sponsored by the Government of Japan, the United Nations, and the United Nations University was held in Tokyo on 11 and 12 October 1995, with the participation of 21 prominent panelists who are actively involved in the prevention, management and resolution of current conflicts. The objective of the Symposium was to promote the awareness of the need for conflict prevention and resolution in Africa and to contribute to the joint efforts of Africa and the international community to achieve peace, security, stability and sustainable development in that continent by analyzing the root causes of conflicts and making recommendations for policy options to prevent the outbreak of conflicts and ensure their peaceful resolution. The Symposium was a direct follow-up to the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) which emphasized that peace and stability are prerequisite to sustainable development. The Symposium was also an event in the celebration of the 50th and 20th anniversaries of the United Nations and the United Nations University respectively.

The Symposium was organized under three separate but inter-connected themes: viz. 1) causes and characteristics of conflicts, 2) conflict prevention, and 3) management and resolution of conflict situations. Recognizing the importance of conflict prevention, the Symposium particularly focused its discussions on that theme. The following statement is the Chairperson's summary of the discussions.