Outlook for Japan’s MAB Youth from UNESCO Headquarters – Through Training at Headquarters

Introduction

Since the end of October last year, I have been doing an internship at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France. This training is a programme jointly established by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and UNESCO Headquarters in 2024 (Details: 資料1-6_ユネスコ研修プログラムについて). I would like to share my experience of about three months and my impressions of Japan’s MAB Youth through it.

Overview of UNESCO and Its Organization

UNESCO is an international organisation that many Japanese people are familiar with and is best known for its World Heritage Sites, but it has many different departments and a wide range of activities. UNESCO’s mission is “to build defences of peace in the minds of people” and its activities are mainly carried out in three areas: education, science, and culture(The Constitution of UNESCO: https://www.mext.go.jp/unesco/009/001.htm).

The division to which I belong to is the MAB Section of the Ecology and Earth Sciences Division (EES) in the Natural Sciences Bureau. Currently, there is a MAB Section and a Geoparks Section within the EES, and the Indigenous Peoples Section will be added soon. This is expected to further strengthen biocultural diversity conservation activities that respect the wisdom and culture of indigenous peoples. When working with MAB, it is important to keep in mind that the MAB plan is also driven by the philosophy of “never repeating the tragedies of war”.

Duties During the Internship

So far, I have been in charge of three tasks:

1: Digitization Project for BR Registration Applications and Periodic Reviews

Currently, each BR submits its application forms and reports in Word or PDF format, but by having them enter them into a dedicated online form, the aim is to make data collection and analysis more efficient and make it easier for stakeholders to access information. We tested whether the new response form to see if it worked.

2: Creation of a list of overlapping points of protected areas around the world

By clarifying the points of overlap between the areas where several UNESCO sites (BRs, Geoparks, World Heritage Sites, Ramsar Sites, etc.) overlap, it is expected that site management will become more efficient.

3: Sorting 50 years of BR-related materials since the start of the MAB programme

As part of the digitisation of analogue materials, which has been underway since last year, I am responsible for classifying and labelling the materials. There are a huge number of documents, and the work is sometimes daunting, but I feel that it makes sense to help digitise the past records and use them as a common resource for humanity. Given the current situation in which UNESCO’s pre-war archives are deteriorating, digitisation is a trend that is being promoted not only in the MAB but also in many other departments.

Youth Involvement in Japan’s MAB Programme

UNESCO has made “youth” one of its top priorities, but in the three months since I started my training, I have not had many opportunities to actually hear the term “MAB Youth”. However, a new colleague who joined in January this year will be in charge of MAB Youth, so I think there will be more movement in the future.

In writing this newsletter, I asked the MAB Youth Officer, “What are MAB’s expectations for youth participation? Are there any challenges associated with youth activities?” She replied, “MAB sees youth as leaders and innovators, not just participants. However, youth participation is sometimes insufficient, there is a lack of resources and a place to disseminate ideas, and there are problems with retention rates. We want to involve young people from different backgrounds”. When asked what role Japan should play in the MAB framework, she added: “I want Japan to inspire global action with a unique approach that combines respect for nature with technological innovation.

I also believe that Japan’s idea of “accepting the benefits and threats of nature and living together” is a unique and wonderful culture. If we could take measures that combine this culture with Japanese technology, I believe we could lead the world in BR.

However, it is not easy for the Japanese, who live in an environment rich in biodiversity and take it for granted, to be aware that they are “blessed with biodiversity”. I believe that the first step in promoting MAB activities in Japan is for Japanese youth to realise that they live in an environment blessed with nature.

In addition, now that I am in an international environment, I have noticed that the concept of “youth” in Japan is different from that in other countries. In Japan, there is a big division in life between “students” and “working adults”, and I don’t think that working adults who have graduated from school and started working often feel that they are “youth” and act as youth. However, in other countries the way of working is different and people in their 30s often think that they are “still in the phase of finding out what life is like”. I think it is important to take this cultural background into account and help Japanese young people to realise that they are part of the youth and to realise the importance of communication and action.

Finally, I have heard that a challenge unique to Japan is that people in their 40s and 50s are currently considered “young” by those involved in BR in Japan. I think there is an urgent need to involve real youth with diverse backgrounds, not just biology, and to make efforts to broaden the base of people involved in BR. If we can solve this problem, I think Japan can contribute to the world as a model country for BR in an ageing society.

During the remaining 9 months of my internship, I would like to continue to pay attention to the trends at UNESCO headquarters, interact with various youth from all over the world, and explore what Japan’s BR can do and the role that Japanese youth can play.