Dear SSJ-Forum members:

 

The world is in a state of upheaval. Strategic competition, pervasive instability and recurrent shocks define our broader security environment. We face global and interconnected challenges. China's military build-up, Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine, increasing tensions in the Middle East, and DPRK's nuclear and missile programme.

Against this backdrop, NATO, the Embassy of Denmark (NATO Contact Point Embassy), the EU Delegation to Japan, and the Economic Security Research Program (ESRP) at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST), The University of Tokyo will co-host a symposium titled "NATO-Japan Symposium 2023: Emerging Security Challenges." 

The objective of this symposium is to promote practical cooperation on a wide array of issues between NATO and Japan in the Indo-Pacific, not least new and emerging security challenges such as economic security, critical and emerging technologies, hybrid challenges in the information sphere and maritime domains. Building resilient societies will also be central to the partnership as it is key to protect our populations and territory in the future. 

For more details, please check the following outline of the symposium. If you would like to attend, please sign up through the registration form. Please note that if there are a large number of applicants, participants may be selected through a lottery. The results will be sent by email on November 12.

We will also have a short networking session following the conclusion of the program.

We look forward to your participation.

【Title】

NATO-Japan Symposium 2023: Emerging Security Challenges

【Registration form (pre-registration required】

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd7Yh_cNu4x0hIYN59VLaFgETcmdltm5h_FH9Hya9WBDOlzcQ/viewform

【Date and Time】

Monday, November 13, 2023, 9:00-12:20 JST (doors open at 8:30)

【Venue】

Ito Hall, Hongo Campus, The University of Tokyo

https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/adm/iirc/en/access.html 

*Please note that the venue is NOT the ENEOS Hall (Komaba 2 Campus) like the last time.

【Languages】

English and Japanese (simultaneous interpretation will be provided) 

【Speakers】

Opening session: NATO-Japan collaboration on emerging security challenges

- Masakazu Sugiyama, Director, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST), The University of Tokyo

- H.E. Mr. Peter Taksøe-Jensen, Ambassador, Royal Danish Embassy in Japan

- H.E. Mr. David Van Weel, NATO Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges

- Norihiro Nakayama, Member of the House of Representatives

Session 1: Perspectives on economic security challenges

- Akira Igata, Project Lecturer, Economic Security Research Program, RCAST, The University of Tokyo

- Raymond Greene, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy in Japan

- H.E. Mr. David Van Weel, NATO Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges

- Victor Ferguson, JSPS Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo

Session 2: Combatting increasingly complex hybrid challenges

- Mari Akiyama, Director, European Policy Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan

- Jean-Eric Paquet, Ambassador of the European Union

- Eva Pejsova, Japan Chair, Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy, Brussels School of Governance and Associate Fellow at Fondation pour la Recherche Strategie, Paris

- Private sector panelist (TBC)

Session 3: The future of NATO, Japan, and the Indo-Pacific

- Dr. Luis Simon, Director, Centre for Security, Diplomacy And Strategy, Brussels School of Governance and Senior fellow Royal Institute ELCANO

- Dr. Benedetta Berti, head of NATO Policy Planning Unit

- Céline Pajon, Head of Japan Research, Center for Asian and Indo-Pacific Studies, Ifri and Senior fellow, Senior Researcher, Japan Chair, Brussels School of Governance

- Daisuke Kawai, Project Assistant Professor, Economic Security Research Program, RCAST, The University of Tokyo

Closing remarks

- H.E. Mr. Peter Taksøe-Jensen, Ambassador, Royal Danish Embassy in Japan

[Details]

The world is in a state of upheaval. Strategic competition, pervasive instability and recurrent shocks define our broader security environment. We face global and interconnected challenges. China's military build-up, Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine, increasing tensions in the Middle East, and DPRK's nuclear and missile programme. 

As Japan, along with Australia, South Korea and New Zealand participated in NATO's summit in July 2023, this marked the second consecutive year of their participation at a NATO summit - a testimony to the close cooperation between NATO and the Indo Pacific. 

The joint collaboration between NATO and Japan has strengthened in light of the recently adopted Individually Tailored Partnership Programme (ITTP) for 2023-2026. It is a responsible promise to continue to work together for international peace and stability and jointly contribute to upholding and strengthening the rules-based international order. 

The Partnership progamme will promote practical cooperation on a wide array of issues, not least new and emerging security challenges such as economic security, cyber-attacks, critical and emerging technologies, hybrid activities and disinformation. Building resilient societies will also be central to the partnership as it is key to protect our populations and territory in the future. Against this backdrop the NATO-Japan symposium 2023 will focus on key cooperation areas in relation to:

• Economic security challenges - How are key countries among the NATO and the Indo-Pacific countries perceiving the economic security challenges? What are their interests and most recent policies? Where do we see areas of alignment as well as differences?

• Increasingly complex hybrid challenges - What is the nature of hybrid challenges in areas such as the information sphere or the maritime domain? How are states addressing these challenges? What kind of tools are available to combat this? Can the public and the private sector cooperate in countering these challenges?

• NATO partnership with Japan and the Indo-Pacific - What are the issues of common concern aside from the economic security and hybrid challenges in the information sphere for NATO, Japan, and the Indo-Pacific countries? How should we collaborate in the coming years? 

【Event Website】

https://esrp.rcast.u-tokyo.ac.jp/events/events-1247/?lang=en 

We look forward to seeing you all at the symposium.

Best regards, 

Akira

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