19 August 2002

Bonn, Germany: UN Volunteers' Honorary Ambassador, Mr. Takehito Nakata of Japan, paid his first visit to Viet Nam from 11 to 17 August. Viet Nam was the 26th country Mr. Nakata visited in his capacity as Honorary Ambassador. "I am glad to be able to see first hand how Viet Nam overcomes difficulties through its reform process," he said. "I have a great respect for Vietnamese culture and traditions. I am always standing by the people of Viet Nam."

Mr. Nakata's visit to Viet Nam aimed to promote the concept of volunteerism and volunteering activities among UN Volunteers and development partners across the Government and UN agencies. He visited national and international UN Volunteers in their work place and had lunch with all Hanoi-based UN Volunteers. Mr. Nakata was accompanied by a number of jounralists on his visits to the Vietnam-Korea Cooperation Centre and Hoa Sua Vocational School. The Cooperation Centre was managed and developed by a UN Volunteer from Korea, Mr. Lee Wook, and is now well established, teaching carpentry, computer and foreign languages to young people in the community. It is also a centre for cultural exchange between Vietnamese and Korean young people. The Hoa Sua Vocational School is one of three SVF-funded projects that have been implemented in Viet Nam with seven national UN Volunteers currently serving. Since the aim of the project is to strengthen the capacity of the school, best practices for accounting, management and training for trainers have been introduced and a multi-party support network established.

Mr. Nakata met representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Planning and Investment and also the Youth Federation, one partner of a new project under UNV's Special Voluntary Fund -- the Youth in Cultural Heritage Protection and Preservation in Viet Nam with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The UN Resident Coordinator and the Ambassador of Japan held a special reception on behalf of Mr. Nakata to Viet Nam. Participants included representatives from embassies, UN agencies, government ministries and non-governmental organizations.

At the end of Mr. Nakata's visit, a press conference with journalists from national television, radio and newspapers. "The cooperation between UNV and the Government and the people of Viet Nam has achieved invaluable results, especially in HIV prevention and environmental protection," he told the journalists. "I'm very impressed by the volunteers. They are people with passion and abilities. They are enthusiastic and caring". He also called for increased support from the Vietnamese society to encourage volunteer action for the good of all.

Mr. Nakata has been the Honorary Ambassador to United Nations since 1993, following the assassination of his only son, Atsuhito Nakata, in the course of his duties as a UN Volunteers District Electoral Supervisor with the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC). Mr. Nakata abandoned his successful business career in order to follow his son's example in promoting the United Nations and UN Volunteers' work in support of peace and development.