Keynote Speech

Excellencies,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,



Good evening and a happy New Year to you all. Thank you very much for attending our new year’s reception at the Japanese Mission to the European Union. Let me begin by introducing myself: I came to Brussels only four months ago from Paris where I served for three years as the Japanese Ambassador to the OECD. I joined the Japanese Foreign Service over forty years ago in 1976. Since then, I have spent nearly half my career in Tokyo and the other half outside Japan: Starting in Oxford, then Abu Dhabi, London, Hong Kong, Washington, D.C., New Delhi, Los Angeles, New York, Paris and most recently here in Brussels. As a diplomat, my motto is: “Wherever you are posted, you will always find green pastures.” In each of my postings we discovered unique charms and challenges that created a wealth of memories and we feel extremely fortunate for our experiences. I say “we”, because my wife always accompanied me throughout my career. She is currently in Tokyo because she is an only child and has now chosen to be near her parents who are both over 90 and understandably very frail. I respect her decision. So I am now a bachelor ad interim.




As we usher in the New Year, let me say a few words about 2017. I was struck by the headline of the New Year edition of New Europe: “Quo Vadis Europa”. By the end of March, the UK will notify the EU of its intention to leave the EU. A few weeks afterwards, the BREXIT negotiations will start. Let me simply express our hope that both the EU and the UK will work together to find the least disruptive solution which will be conducive to the stability and prosperity not only of Europe but also to wider world. On January, 20th, Mr. Donald Trump will become the 45th President of the United States. Japan and Europe are time-tested allies of the US and we both anxiously await the inauguration speech of the new President. On top of these major political changes, Europe will enter into an ‘election season” starting today with the election of the European Parliament President, followed by the Dutch general election in March, the French Presidential election in April-May, and the German general election in the fall. Therefore, I do not disagree with anyone feeling a deep sense of uncertainty and anxiety regarding the future of Europe and of the European Union in particular. And yet, I am optimistic. All of these uncertainties have come about because our liberal democracy is functioning. Let us remember that democracy, by definition, embraces what I call “an organized chaos” or “organized disorderliness” causing the change of government through general elections. After all, BREXIT is the direct consequence of a referendum by the sovereign British voters and Mr. Trump has been democratically elected by the sovereign US voters. We have to live with and through the consequences of these sovereign decisions.

 



The important point of departure now is to remember that it is up to us. My answer to these anxieties is to set our eyes on the lodestar. I say that the lodestar is to do more to improve the quality of our democracies. That is to say that we must augment our “democracy” with another set of fundamental principles and values: The rule of law, fundamental human rights and the independence of the judiciary and of the press. In this respect, I always think of the following insightful admonition by Reinhold Niebuhr who wrote in 1944 that Man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible; but man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary. His message to humanity is more relevant to us in 2017 than it ever was in 1944. The most important point is that we must be aware of the truth that democracy is necessary but not sufficient in order to fight against injustice including widening inequality and the erosion of human dignities. The 2008 Financial Crisis fundamentally changed the way we perceive issues such as the globalization of finance, income inequality and the legacy of trickle-down economics. Although the measures taken by our governments to combat the Great Recession have borne fruit, it is clear that income inequality remains at record-high levels and that the global recovery is not reaching the poorest in our societies. I strongly believe in the many benefits of free trade, which has lifted billions across the globe out of poverty, but we must acknowledge that globalization produces losers as well as winners. If we are to learn from the events of 2016 we must respond to the concerns of the economically left-behind in our democracies in a way that goes beyond “throwing money at the problem.” I said earlier “democracy needs to be augmented”. Here I must be more specific. We are often reminded that every individual is born free and equal. Yet we know that inequalities among people never disappear. But I say let us not despair. Throughout my days at the UN and at the OECD, I have come to believe that the concept of “human security” can augment our democracy to meaningfully enrich our conventional concept of equal opportunity. In essence, human security means the protection and empowerment of an individual whose lifetime career trajectory is full of potential at the beginning. Empowerment measures can and should help inherently disadvantaged individuals to attain real equality of opportunity I do believe empowerment should be a key to any policy to enhance or guarantee both freedom and equality of people more than anything else including social safety nets.

 

I would like to conclude my remarks by saying that our liberal democracies will no doubt be tested in 2017.Their resilience will be tested. Being a democracy is not enough. Democracy must be actionable with the help of our commitment to fundamental and universal values of freedom and civil rights and more focused attention to the policy measures which empower people to cope with the rough waves of globalization. This evening were blessed with a string quartet comprising members of Conservatoire Royal de Mons, namely, Ms. Ai Tomono (violin), Ms. Aziza Salahova (violin), Ms. Alba Reiris (cello), and Mr. Yauheni Skrypnikau (viola). I thank you all for a wonderful performance this evening. Ladies and gentlemen, we have prepared plenty of food for you, including sushi and Japanese sake. I hope you enjoy the reception. Thank you for your attention. (End)