NEWS

UN Seminar Held in Fiji for the First Time

Update: May 16, 2025

The ICU-UN Seminar (GS course: QPPI528 United Nations Seminar on Sustainable Development) was held as an intensive course for credit in Fiji under the auspices of the Diplomatic and International Public Service (DIPS) Program. The UN Seminar has been held on campus on an annual basis since 2021. The Faculty Grant of JICUF made it possible to leave the campus in March 2025 and head to Fiji where many UN agencies and organizations have Pacific regional and/or multi-country offices. Eight students with the instructor and a TA left Narita on an overnight flight to Nadi, Fiji, then on a domestic flight to the capital Suva to arrive early in the morning of the 9th of March. The group visited the Fiji Museum with 200 years of cultural and anthropological history. Starting the next day until the 15th, the group visited the total of 13 UN organizations, two Pacific regional intergovernmental organizations, two Fiji government ministries, Fiji Parliament, the Embassy of Japan and JICA office. Professionals and experts at each organization provided presentations and briefings on their mission, priority issues, the organization's main activities and challenges unique to the Pacific or to Fiji. Active Q&A session was held at each.

Organizations visited：
UN system： UN Resident Coordinator Office（UNRCO）, UN Development Programme（UNDP), UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction（UNDRR）, World Health Organization（WHO）, World Bank, World Food Programme（WFP）, UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), UNICEF, International Labour Organization（ILO）, International Organization for Migration（IOM）, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN（FAO）, UN Women, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA);　Government Organizations： Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection, Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation;　Regional Organization： Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat(PIF）, South Pacific Tourism Organization (SPTO)； Japanese Government： Embassy of Japan in the Republic of Fiji, JICA Fiji Office

The overall theme of the UN Seminar is SDGs and this year, the focus was on the special issues faced by the Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) including Fiji. In this regard, each organization presented particular challenges related to Climate Change and sea level rise, natural disasters and disaster risk management, coordinated emergency assistance, climate change-induced migration or its alternatives. Also raised were the interlinkages between food security and nutrition, eating habits and their close relationships to non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and to tourism. Gender and children-related issues include how to prevent and protect from domestic and school violence. Students observed and felt the respective office environment, professional passion and commitment of those working in their respective areas dealing with real day-to-day and emergency issues as they arise on the ground. As attested by each student, the organized UN Seminar in Fiji was a very impactful experience which has deepened their understanding of both the issues and the role of each organization we visited, while broadened their perspectives for their respective future academic or career pathways.

Outside the structured program, an informal dinner with ICU alumni at the Japanese Embassy and JICA, as well as Japanese professional staff at the Fiji offices of four UN organizations - ESCAP, IMO, UNICEF and WHO was memorable where they learned each expert's career path and life experience living in different developing countries. Also meaningful was an informal luncheon organized by the Japanese Ambassador for an opportunity to interact with nine students who come from different countries but are studying at the South Pacific University who recently visited Japan on a study tour.

The students who participated were assigned to the different sessions to lead questions or take notes to draft a summary of each session. At the completion of the Seminar, an editorial team was formed among the participating students to work on editing various summaries, organizing photos, and structuring/designing them into an overall report of the Seminar.