— Theme —

Today 1.8 billion young people, those aged 10 to 24, make up a quarter of the world’s population. Many of them live in developing countries and comprise a huge proportion of those populations. How to spend the critical years of adolescence is not only a matter for youth themselves but also for our global society as a whole, as they will determine the sustainability and shape our future.
In order to fulfill their potential and thus to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
it is crucial to empower young people and provide them with opportunities to fully participate and engage in society through education, employment and beyond.

UNFPA works to ensure reproductive rights for all. Youth empowerment constitutes a crucial part of this mission, as such, UNFPA has established the youth network “Y-Peer”.

On the occasion of her first visit to Japan, UNFPA Executive Director
Dr. Natalia Kanem will have a dialogue with young people in Japan on youth empowerment.

Date：　June 29 18:00 ~ 19:30 (Doors open at 17:30) 　　　　　
Venue：　Yotsuya Campus No.2 BLDG 17th Floor International Conference Hall
Open to Sophia Students, faculty members, high school students and public (Registration required)
Language: Japanese and English (with simultaneous interpretation)

Organizers :
・United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
・Sophia University
・Ministry of Foreign Affairs

◆Flyer:Here(404.19 KB)

< Panelists >

Dr. Natalia Kanem
United Nations Under-Secretary-General
Executive Director of UNFPA
Dr. Kanem has more than 30 years of strategic leadership experience in medicine, public and reproductive health, social justice and philanthropy. She started her career in academia with the Johns Hopkins and Columbia University schools of medicine and public health.
Dr. Kanem served at the Ford Foundation, becoming Deputy Vice-President for its worldwide peace and social justice programmes in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and North America. From 2014 to 2016, she served as UNFPA Representative in the United Republic of Tanzania and, in July 2016, she was named Deputy Executive Director of UNFPA in charge of programmes. In October 2017, she was appointed as the fifth Executive Director of UNFPA.
Dr. Kanem holds a medical degree from Columbia University, and a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Washington. She is also a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard University, where she studied history and science. In 2018, she was awarded an Honorary Fellowship from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.