“World Peace Concert at the United Nations”

Ambassador Ihara,
Mr. Yanagisawa
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a pleasure to be with you this evening for the “World Peace Concert at the United Nations Office at Geneva”, a wonderful event that promises to convey through music a vision of a world at peace.

Allow me to sincerely thank the Permanent Mission of Japan for making this evening possible and for their continued commitment to sharing Japan’s rich cultural heritage with International Geneva. Of course, a special thank you to tonight’s outstanding performers: the Balkan Chamber Orchestra and its founder and conductor, Mr. Toshio Yanagisawa. By bringing together talented musicians from across the Balkans and beyond, the orchestra is proof of all we can accomplish if we look and act beyond the barriers and walls that divide us.

Mr. Yanagisawa created this orchestra in 2007 to foster collaboration and understanding across ethnic lines in the Balkans. His efforts embody, at the personal level, post-war Japan’s dedication to the creation of a peaceful world order. Since it joined the United Nations sixty years ago, Japan has been a prominent voice for peace and for multilateral institutions. Japan was the second-largest donor to the United Nations System in 2014 and over 270 Japanese Blue Helmets currently serve in peacekeeping operations around the globe. In the pursuit of nuclear disarmament, the international community can count on the dedication of Japan, the only state to have suffered a nuclear attack.

Here in the Palais des Nations, Japan’s voice joins those of its fellow Member States in a collective call for action on the challenges of our times: climate change, human rights, disarmament, migration and many more. Like tonight’s performers, we should strive to bring this chorus to harmony so that we may bring to life the vision of a peaceful and more sustainable planet for future generations.

Thank you.