Diet Roundtable | Japan's Role in Defending Democracy in the Indo-Pacific Region

As part of our program on expanding support for democratic governance in Asia, JCIE hosted a private roundtable discussion gathering nine Diet members from across the ruling coalition and opposition parties. The session focused on Japan’s role in defending democracy and upholding human rights in the Indo-Pacific region. Three guests from the United States joined: Francisco Bencosme, Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, US State Department; June Lin, Senior Program Manager, National Democratic Institute (NDI); and Lynn Lee, Associate Director for Asia, National Endowment for Democracy (NED). The guests and participating Diet members addressed a range of international and domestic issues, such as the ongoing crisis in Myanmar, promoting equality/equity for LGBTQ communities in Japan, and creating a mechanism to strengthen support for democracy in the region, and more.

This event, which took place shortly before Japan hosted the 2023 G7 Summit in Hiroshima, was part of activities JCIE hosted in Tokyo to provide recommendations to the G7 on democracy-related issues, which also included a public symposium held on March 28 entitled, “Defending Universal Values in the Indo-Pacific.”

PARTICIPANT LIST

Guest Speakers

FRANCISCO BENCOSME, Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, US State Department

JUNE LIN, Senior Program Manager, National Democratic Institute (NDI)

LYNN LEE, Associate Director, Asia, National Endowment for Democracy (NED)

Moderator

YUKIO TAKASU, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Human Security; Former Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations; Chair, JCIE Study Team on Democracy for the Future

Diet Members

KIYOSHI ODAWARA, Member, House of Representatives (Liberal Democratic Party, LDP)

KUNIKO INOGUCHI, Member, House of Councillors (LDP)

MASAAKI TANIAI, Member, House of Councillors (Komeito)

MOTOHISA FURUKAWA, Member, House of Representatives (Democratic Party for the People, DPP)

SHINJI OGUMA, Member, House of Representatives (CDP)

SHU SAKURAI, Member, House of Representatives (CDP)

TAKAKO SUZUKI, Member, House of Representatives (LDP)

TOSHIKO ABE, Member, House of Representatives (LDP)

TSUYOSHI YAMAGUCHI, Member, House of Representatives (LDP)

JCIE/Japan

AKIO OKAWARA, President & CEO, JCIE/Japan *title and affiliation as of March 2023

ISAO KANO, Senior Advisor, Mitsubishi Corporation; JCIE/Japan Board of Director *title and affiliation as of March 2023

HIDEKO KATSUMATA, Executive Director & COO, JCIE/Japan

RYO TAINAKA, Program Officer, JCIE/Japan

SHIGEKO KONDO, Program Associate, JCIE/Japan