On January 27, 2026, Koji Sakane, Board Member of GPAJ and Professor at Shimane University, delivered a keynote address entitled “Overcoming Populism and Reconstructing the International Order” at the Research Group on UN Issues / Japan Association for United Nations Studies.
The session was moderated by Ambassador Tadanori Inomata, Secretary of the Research Group. Following Sakane’s presentation, Ai Kihara-Hunt, Professor at the University of Tokyo and Director of its Research Center for Sustainable Peace, and Toshiya Hoshino, Inspector at the Joint Inspection Unit of the United Nations System (former Ambassador to the UN, Professor Emeritus at Osaka University, and President of the Japan Association for United Nations Studies), offered their commentaries. This was followed by an exchange of views with the participants.
The United Nations marked its 80th anniversary in 2025, during which time its role and achievements within the international community have undergone significant transformation. As relationships among states continue to evolve internationally, many countries have also experienced a rise in populism domestically, leading to changes in the relationship between governments and their citizens. Against this backdrop, the discussion addressed a range of perspectives, including the growing importance of non-state actors and the future direction of Japan’s engagement with the international community.
