Kōichirō Matsuura facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kōichirō Matsuura
松浦 晃一郎
Matsuura in 2007
Born	(1937-09-29) September 29, 1937 (age 87) Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan
Signature

Kōichirō Matsuura (born September 29, 1937) is a Japanese diplomat. A diplomat is someone who represents their country in talks with other countries. He used to be the head of UNESCO. UNESCO is a special part of the United Nations. It works to build peace through education, science, and culture.

Matsuura was first chosen as Director-General of UNESCO in 1999. He served for six years. He was chosen again in 2005 for another four years. In 2009, Irina Bokova took over his role.

Early Life and Education

Kōichirō Matsuura was born in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. He studied law at the University of Tokyo. He also studied economics at Haverford College in the USA.

Starting His Diplomatic Journey

Matsuura began his work as a diplomat in 1959. His first job was in Ghana, West Africa. He also worked in Paris at the OECD. The OECD helps countries work together on economic issues.

Key Roles in Japan's Government

Over the years, Matsuura held many important jobs. He was a director in Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He helped manage economic cooperation with other countries. He also worked on relations with North American countries.

From 1992 to 1994, he was Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs. This meant he was a very senior diplomat. He also served as Japan's Ambassador to France. An ambassador is the highest-ranking diplomat sent to another country. He was ambassador from 1994 to 1999.

Leading UNESCO

Before becoming UNESCO's leader, Matsuura chaired the World Heritage Committee. This committee decides which places become World Heritage Sites. These are places important to all of humanity.

Becoming Director-General

On November 12, 1999, Kōichirō Matsuura became the ninth Director-General of UNESCO. He was in charge of all of UNESCO's global activities. These activities include promoting education and protecting cultural sites.

His Time at UNESCO

During his time, Matsuura worked to make UNESCO more efficient. He focused on important global issues. These included education for everyone and protecting cultural diversity. He was re-elected in 2005 for another term. He served until November 2009.

Academic Achievements

Besides his diplomatic career, Matsuura also received several honorary degrees. These are special awards from universities. They recognize his important contributions.

• 1997: Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) from Jean Moulin University Lyon III
• 2006: Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) from University of Santo Tomas, Philippines
• 2008: Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris Causa) from Kyung Hee University, Republic of Korea