As the United Statesis increasingly stepping back from global leadership,Japanis aligning to take advantage of the gap created by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike's suggestion that theUnited Nationsmove some of its activities to Tokyo.
Koike came back to Japan on Sunday after an official trip to the United States, during which she spoke at the Johns Hopkins School of International Studies in Washington and emphasized Tokyo's growing role as a significant force globally.
While visiting, she also met with policy specialists at the Hudson Institute think tank, where Tokyo's efforts to transform into an eco-friendly city were a key topic of discussion.
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On Thursday, Koike met with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres for 15 minutes at the organization's New York headquarters. During the discussion, she suggested that additional UN offices be moved to cities around the globe, such as Tokyo.
Tokyo aims to offer a range of support to the UN," Koike said to journalists following the meeting, emphasizing the city's strengths compared to other places, such as "public safety, security, and now, with the weak yen, there are additional benefits to living here.
Guterres admitted that his office had "received proposals for collaboration from several nations and areas," but did not provide details about the Japanese suggestion or whether it could be explored further.
"Japan has long been a significant supporter of the United Nations, with existing facilities like the UN University and a branch of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees," stated Ben Ascione, an assistant professor of international relations at Waseda University in Tokyo.
"It's clearly still very early on, and I view this as Koike testing Guterres' waters at this point," he stated, highlighting multiple factors that suggest both Japan's national government and Tokyo's metropolitan authorities are aiming for a more prominent global presence.
Initially, such an action brings honor and acknowledgment," Ascione said to This Week in Asia. "Japan has consistently valued the United Nations' role and has a tradition of a UN-focused foreign policy.
He referred to Article 9 of the Japanese constitution, which rejects war as a method for resolving conflicts and closely matches the UN's goal of addressing global matters through discussion.
"And that might be even more significant during a period when the current US government is eroding the global framework established by earlier administrations," Ascione stated.
We are experiencing a time of global turmoil with [American President Donald]Trumpremoving the US from various international organizations and creating more turmoil through trade tariffs.
In mid-July, Trump declared that the United Stateswould again be withdrawingfrom the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The United States had previously withdrawn from UNESCO in 2017, during Trump's initial term as president, but has since re-joined underJoe Biden.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Audrey Azoulay, the head of Unesco, stated: "This choice goes against the core values of multilateralism and could primarily impact our numerous collaborators in the United States."
Azoulay mentioned she anticipated a reaction akin to 2017, when the organization "increased its efforts to act wherever its mission could support peace and highlighted the crucial role of its mandate."
Ascione claimed that the United States' instability had made Japan an "appealing option" for hosting certain UN activities at a time when the organization was working to ensure global and regional stability.
"Japan also aims to be recognized as a key peacemaker and stabilizer in the East Asia region, and although these initiatives are still in the early stages, I believe it would be beneficial if they were to take place," he added.
Japan has recently taken additional steps to enhance its diplomatic presence, including last year's suggestion for Tokyo to host a planned Asia branch of theInternational Criminal Court, which is based in The Hague.
In addition to its ambition for a more significant position in global governance, Japan is also worried about how competitors—particularlyChina- have exerted impact on international organizations.
The tension in Tokyo can be traced to the early 2010s, when Chinese officials took charge of four of the UN's 15 main agencies: the Food and Agriculture Organization, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the International Telecommunication Union, and the International Civil Aviation Organization.
Out of the 15 UN agencies, nine have Chinese deputy representatives. Beijing has also faced allegations of exerting control over UN departments via candidate support, including Tedros Ghebreyesus, who is currently in his second term as director general of the World Health Organization.
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This piece was first published in the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), a top news outlet covering China and Asia.
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