Abe Hails UNESCO Depoliticization Reform

October 19, 2018

Paris- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed his appreciation for UNESCO's reform for its depoliticization, at a meeting with Audrey Azoulay, director-general of the U.N. educational and cultural body, in Paris on Thursday.

Abe told Azoulay that Japan will continue to cooperate to advance the depoliticization reform, according to Japanese officials.

UNESCO has embarked on the reform, in the face of political tensions between its member countries over its Memory of the World program, including Japan-South Korea and Japan-China disputes on the issue of wartime "comfort women" and on the Nanjing massacre, respectively.

As part of the reform, UNESCO has introduced a system for talks between concerned countries.

During the meeting with Abe, Azoulay said that UNESCO and Japan have much in common, in terms of contribution to peace.

Japan is currently the largest sponsor of UNESCO, after the United States' withdrawal from it. Jiji Press