Issue 13: December 2001

Former UN High Commissioner for Refugees
to give Fridtjof Nansen Memorial Lecture

The former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Sadako Ogata, will deliver the Fridtjof Nansen Memorial Lecture at United Nations University December 12. Mrs. Ogata, who is currently co-chair of the Tokyo-based Commission on Human Security and resident scholar at the Ford Foundation in New York, will speak on the topic “State Security – Human Security.”

Sadako Ogata

Mrs. Ogata was Japan's representative on the UN Commission on Human Rights from 1982 to 1985 and served as UN High Commissioner for Refugees from  February 1991 to December 2000, having been re-elected twice. Earlier this month, Mrs. Ogata was appointed by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi as his special representative on Afghanistan-related issues. She is currently writing a book examining the impact of global trends on the refugee protection regime.

The Fridtjof Nansen Memorial Lecture is held annually in several world capitals  to commemorate the life of Norwegian explorer, scientist, humanist and Nobel laureate Fridjtof Nansen. Born in 1861, Nansen undertook several expeditions to the Arctic. He served as Norwegian Delegate to the League of Nations and as Rector of St. Andrew’s University in Scotland. In 1922, Nansen received the Nobel Peace Prize for his achievements as High Commissioner for Refugees of the League of Nations. 

The 2001 Fridtjof Nansen Memorial Lecture will take place at 3 p.m. December 12 in U Thant International Conference Hall (3F) of UNU Centre in Tokyo. Simultaneous English-Japanese interpretation will be provided. For more information, contact UNU Public Affairs.

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