Kōichirō Matsuura facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kōichirō Matsuura
|
|
|---|---|
| 松浦 晃一郎 | |
_(2)-_presidenciagovar-_29MAR07.jpg)
Matsuura in 2007
|
|
| Born | September 29, 1937 |
| Signature | |
 |
|
Kōichirō Matsuura (松浦 晃一郎, Matsūra Kōichirō, born 29 September 1937) is a Japanese diplomat. A diplomat is someone who represents their country in dealings with other nations. He is best known for being the former Director-General of UNESCO. UNESCO is a special agency of the United Nations that works to build peace through education, science, and culture. Matsuura led UNESCO for ten years, from 1999 to 2009.
He was born on September 29, 1937, in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. He studied law at the University of Tokyo and economics at Haverford College in the United States. Matsuura began his long career in diplomacy in 1959.
Contents
A Career in Diplomacy
Kōichirō Matsuura had a very active career working for Japan around the world. He held many important positions in the Japanese government and as an ambassador.
Early Diplomatic Roles
Matsuura's first international role was as a diplomat in Ghana from 1961 to 1963. He also worked in other countries in West Africa. Later, he served at the Japanese Delegation to the OECD in Paris. The OECD is an organization that helps countries work together on economic issues.
Key Positions in Japan
Back in Japan, Matsuura held several important roles within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was the Director of the First North American Division, dealing with political affairs. He also directed the Development Cooperation Division, which focused on helping other countries.
Representing Japan Abroad
Matsuura served as a Counsellor at the Embassy of Japan in the United States. He was also the Consul General of Japan in Hong Kong. A Consul General helps protect the interests of their country's citizens and businesses abroad.
Leading Bureaus and Deputy Minister
He became the Director-General of the Economic Cooperation Bureau. This bureau manages Japan's aid to other nations. Later, he was the Director-General of the North American Affairs Bureau. From 1992 to 1994, he served as Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs. This was a very high-ranking position.
Ambassador to France
From 1994 to 1999, Matsuura was Japan's Ambassador to France. An ambassador is the highest-ranking diplomat representing their country in another nation. During this time, he also served as Ambassador to Andorra and Djibouti.
Leading UNESCO
Before becoming the head of UNESCO, Matsuura was the Chairperson of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee. This committee decides which places around the world are so important that they should be protected as World Heritage Sites.
Becoming Director-General
Kōichirō Matsuura was first elected as the Director-General of UNESCO in 1999. He served a six-year term. He was re-elected in 2005 for another four years. This showed that many countries trusted his leadership.
His Time at UNESCO
As Director-General, Matsuura worked to promote UNESCO's goals. These goals include improving education, protecting cultural heritage, and encouraging scientific cooperation. He worked to make sure that people all over the world could learn and share knowledge. In November 2009, he was replaced by Irina Bokova.
Academic Achievements
Matsuura's strong educational background helped him in his diplomatic career. He received several honorary degrees from universities around the world.
University Studies
He studied law at the University of Tokyo from 1956 to 1959. He then studied economics at Haverford College in the USA from 1959 to 1961.
Honorary Degrees
- In 1997, he received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Jean Moulin University Lyon III in France.
- The University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines awarded him an honorary Doctor of Laws in 2006.
- In 2008, he received an honorary Doctor of Philosophy from Kyung Hee University in South Korea.
See also
In Spanish: Koichirō Matsuura para niños
