By: Ahmed Fathi
Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations Ambassador Ishikane Kimihiro hosted a ceremony to honor His Excellency, Mr. Maged Abdelfatah Abdelaziz, Ambassador, Permanent Observer of the League of Arab States to the United Nations, former United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Africa to the United Nations Secretary-General, as the international winner of the Autumn 2021 Imperial Decorations which was announced on November 3, 2021. is one of the recipients in recognition of his contributions as one of the co-organizers of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) process, which strengthened Japan-Africa relations. The ceremony was attended by the Deputy Secretary General Ms. Amina Mohamed and Ambassadors and Permanent Representatives to the United Nations.
Ambassador Abdelaziz is awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star medals.
TICAD has been a critical forum for leveraging multi-stakeholder cooperation for Africa's development at scale for almost a quarter century. The COVID-19 pandemic has once again proven the ease with which the human security issue can cross borders and the interdependence of all nations and areas. TICAD, which was created on the premise of "ownership and cooperation," can play a greater role than ever in mobilizing worldwide efforts to assist Africa in overcoming the COVID-19 problem and rebuilding more effectively.
SUMMRY OF CONTRIBUTIONS
Since its founding in 1993, the Office of the Special Advisor on Africa to the United Nations Secretary-General (UN-OSAA, formerly UN-OSCAL) has represented the United Nations as co-organizer of TICAD. Through the TICAD process, Japan and the UN-OSAA collaborate on many of Africa's most critical issues, including development and peace and security.
Ambassador Abdelaziz has made major contributions to the TICAD process during his distinguished career. In particular, he established a thorough TICAD procedure that reflected the African Union's and the United Nations' increasingly active partnerships. Under his direction, TICAD's standing as an inclusive, multinational platform linked with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union's Agenda 2063 grew.