Japanese University Confers Honorary Doctorate on United Nations Under-Secretary-General and High Representative Anwarul K. Chowdhury

Tokyo, 19 March 2003 -- The Soka University of Japan today conferred an Honorary Doctorate to Mr. Anwarul K. Chowdhury, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing Countries, in recognition of his work for the promotion of culture of peace and human rights, in particular the rights of women and children, noting specially his initiative for the adoption by the General Assembly in1999 of the Programme of Action on Culture of Peace and the statement of for the Security Council on the role of women in peace-building in March 2000.

The past recipients of the Honorary Doctorates of Soka University included, Adolfo Perez Esquivel, Nobel Peace Laureate from Argentina; Joseph Rotblat, Nobel Peace Laureate, United Kingdom; Henry Kissinger; Yasushi Akashi, UN Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, Japan; Hosni Mubarak, President of Egypt; Mikhail S Gorbachev, Former President of the Soviet Union; Nelson Mandela, Former President of South Africa; Inder Kumar Gujral, Former Prime Minister of India; Fidel Ramos, Former President of Philippines; Ricardo Diez Hochleitner, President of The Club of Rome; ; Oscar Arias Sanchez, Former President of Costa Rica, Linus Pauling, Nobel Prize Recipient for Chemistry and Peace, USA; General Olusegun Obasanjo , President of Nigeria.

In his acceptance presentation at the commencement ceremony of the University, Mr. Chowdhury focussed on culture of peace and in particular stressed the importance of youth involvement in the promotion of a culture of peace. He pointed out that one way of promoting a culture of peace is through the spreading of peace education. Peace education needs to be accepted in all parts of the world, in all societies and countries as an essential element in building a culture of peace. Peace studies in all educational institutional should be incorporated as part of their curricula. Peace studies should be an essential part of the educational process as reading and writing. He called on the young graduates to mobilize support in their own spheres of activities for peace education. In this context, Mr. Chowdhury encouraged them to support the Global Campaign for Peace Education which has been launched in May 1999 by the Hague Appeal for Peace.

Mr. Chowdhury informed the role played by the United Nations, particularly with the broad-based support of civil society, in building a culture of peace, keeping in view the new global reality. The adoption of the Declaration and Programme of Action on Culture of Peace was a landmark decision by the United Nations General Assembly.

In concluding, Mr. Chowdhury stated that the time of culture of peace has come and the time to ACT is now. For achieving that objective, he urged the graduating students to join the growing global movement for a culture of peace.

*****