At the beginning of the 21st century, the world standards for good governance are democracy, tolerance, and pluralism, ensuring full and fair participation of citizens in governmental decision-making and full protection of human and minority rights. However, there are criticisms that more and more of the decisions affecting our lives are being moved beyond the national realm into organisations that do not appear to meet the same standards of transparency, accountability and fair representation.

These international forms of governance and other related issues will be discussed at the conference by panels of international speakers which include Gareth EVANS (President, International Crisis Group), Keizo TAKEMI (Member of the Japanese Diet), Richard GOLDSTONE (Judge, Constitutional Court of South Africa) and Emma BONINO (Member of the European Parliament). The keynote address will be delivered by Michel BARNIER, European Commissioner for Regional Policy and Inter-governmental Conference. The conference will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, 24 January, with remarks by UNU Rector Hans van GINKEL and Ambassador Ove JUUL JØRGENSEN, Head of the Delegation of the European Commission in Japan.

A provisional programme of the EU-UNU Tokyo Global Forum is attached for your reference. Media representatives are cordially invited to attend.