08 April 2008

Tokyo, Japan: During her first official visit to Japan, UNV Executive Coordinator Flavia Pansieri paid tribute to outgoing UNV Honorary Ambassador Takehito Nakata, calling him “a source of inspiration for tens of thousands of volunteers and future volunteers”.

Mr Nakata retired as UNV Honorary Ambassador today after 15 years of service.  He took up the position following the death of his son, Atsuhito, who was killed while serving as a UNV volunteer monitoring elections in Kampong Thom province, Cambodia, on 8 April 1993.

Eric Falt, now Director of the Outreach Division at United Nations Headquarters in New York, was in Cambodia when Atsuhito died.  In a message read at today’s ceremony at the U Thant International Conference Hall in Tokyo’s UN House, he called the death “a defining moment in the unfolding of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Cambodia”.

The memory of Atsuhito Nakata – a painting of whom hangs at UNV headquarters in Bonn – has been an inspiration to many, said Ms Pansieri during her speech prior to the presentation of a special plaque to his father.

“People who know Atsu’s story can see the same characteristics in his father, who has carried on Atsuhito’s desire to contribute to world peace and development as a global citizen,” she said.

Mr Nakata has since travelled the world to promote the values and mission of UNV and Volunteerism for Development, meeting government partners, non-governmental organizations and local communities.  Despite stepping down, he will continue to advocate volunteerism for development informally as UNV Honorary Ambassador (Retired).

A dedicated volunteer and donor himself, Mr Nakata participated in relief work following the Kobe earthquake of 1995 and helped initiate Japan’s own celebrations of the International Year of Volunteers in 2001.  Besides being a UNV Honorary Ambassador, he founded the Atsuhito Nakata Memorial Foundation and has been supporting many international development projects and volunteer initiatives through the fund.

Mr Nakata also provided support to the construction of a primary and secondary school in the Nakata Atsuhito Village in Prasat Sambour district, Kampong Thom province, where his son was killed.  In 2003, Mr Nakata was awarded Cambodia’s gold medal for national construction in recognition of his long-term commitment to the country.

Working with a variety of UN agencies, each year there are around 100 Japanese UNV volunteers.  The forthcoming Tokyo International Conference on African Development, to be held in May 2008, will be an “opportunity to demonstrate the power of volunteerism,” said Ms Pansieri.

To read the full text of the speech, click here.

To read news articles about the ceremony (in Japanese), click here.