Ogata's approach to refugees and other harsh people October 29 19:47
In the 1990s when Sadako Ogata served as the High Commissioner for UNHCR = United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the conflict between the nations and religions that had been suppressed around the world following the end of the Cold War in the East and West spewed out civil wars and regions As conflicts continued, dealing with a large number of refugees and displaced persons became a serious international issue.
In 1991 when Ogata took office, many Kurds who evacuated from northern Iraq were refused entry to Turkey, and what to do to support them was an urgent issue.
At this time, Mr. Ogata decided to change the UNHCR policy, which had been limited to refugees who had moved outside the border, to protect displaced people who had lost their place in the country. The decision is regarded as a turning point for the future support for refugees and displaced persons.
In addition, when a large number of refugees fled the country due to ethnic conflicts in the former Kosovo Autonomous Region of Yugoslavia, “In Kosovo, the disastrous situation of residents continues, and the number of refugees may increase explosively in the future. There was a need to work together to deal with each country.
In addition, when more than 800,000 people were slaughtered in Rwanda in East Africa in 1994, a refugee camp was launched as UNHCR for the support of the 1 million people who rushed to the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. It was.
At that time, some of the refugees involved in the genocide were included, so it became a problem whether to support the perpetrators. UNHCR continued to provide food and other support without distinguishing people.
Mr. Ogata attended the memorial ceremony held in Tokyo 20 years later in 2014. “The peaceful world is shaped by the efforts of the people. We must learn from the efforts of the Rwandan people for 20 years. “I do n’t think,” he calls on the international community to learn from the tragedy in Rwanda.
During his tenure, Mr. Ogata often led the support team while pursuing the best choice to save those who were in difficult positions by visiting the conflict areas and refugee camps around the world.
When I visited a refugee camp in Tanzania, Africa about 20 years ago, Mr. Ogata went around the camp energetically to observe the situation of refugees.
And when we dine, we expressed gratitude to the locals who provided us with precious food, and made us feel strongly about eating and eating together in the harsh environment.
Mr. Ogata's attitude resulted from the notion of national security to the philosophy of “human security” centered on ensuring the safety of each person. In 2001, the United Nations “Human Security Committee” Was established and Mizuka Ogata was co-chaired.
Mr. Ogata said in an interview with NHK in April 2009, “Young people will be at the center of the next era, so I hope they will continue to do useful work. What is happening in the wide world? I would like you to understand it well. ”He said his expectations for the younger generation.