Good afternoon every participant to the Summit, Ladies & Gentlemen!
Thank you for your introduction. As you have just been informed, my name is Kazuichi Sakamoto and I am the president of Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University?also known as APU. The university is in Beppu, a city within Oita Prefecture, located on the southernmost Japanese island of Kyushu. Despite being a new university, having just opened its doors to students in April of the year 2000, I am proud to say that APU is Japan’s first university to take a comprehensively international focus.
Last year, APU hosted the 2002 World Student Summit. I am delighted that the Summit is continuing its legacy here at the National University of Singapore, an exemplary institution worthy of representing the nations and regions of Asia. In addition, I am deeply honored to have been invited to this event and given the opportunity to deliver this message to the international youth gathered here today. I would like to offer my most sincere thanks to the Summit planning committee for providing me with this opportunity.

I would like to use the time I have today to speak about things that have been on my mind regarding the theme “Youth leadership and the future of the global community”, and will focus on the most pressing issues that humanity will face in this century. I am sure that you have already discussed such issues quite thoroughly over the past several days, so I would like to concentrate on the following four:
First is “environmental protection”, the most fundamental issue for ensuring the survival of humanity.
Second is “human security”, that is to say, ensuring the basic human right to a safe and peaceful existence.
Third is the need to foster mutual respect and harmony among the various nations and cultures of the world.
And last is the need to educate competent individuals who can take action on the issues I have just mentioned.

Nearly everyone around the world now knows that we face a mounting environmental crisis, caused by the industrialization and urbanization which started in the 19th century and which continues unabated today. How can we protect the earth’s environment? How must we deal with the inevitable depletion of our fossil fuel resources? These are difficult questions, and the Asia Pacific, more than any other region of the world, must take action now to find their answers, because the region’s high population density and rapid population growth makes it acutely vulnerable to the effects of environmental degradation. Furthermore, given that the region is poised to make considerable economic advances in the coming years, environmental problems could potentially plunge the region into a critical situation. This is why I believe it is the Asia Pacific region’s historical duty to take an aggressive and proactive approach to resolving these issues.
A number of concerned organizations and agencies around the world, including the United Nations and various civic groups, have put forth great efforts towards improving the environmental situation. Unfortunately, it has become glaringly obvious that the pace of environmental destruction and fossil fuel depletion far outpaces the dedicated efforts of such organizations.
So, what should be done?
The solution is, in theory, quite clear. It is not difficult to see that fostering an energy-saving, recycling-oriented society would have profound effects on global sustainability. The hard part is implementing a realistic plan, that is to say, developing a feasible process for achieving this goal.
There are many who claim that in order to preserve the earth upon which our very lives depend, we must make some fundamental changes in our excessively materialistic lifestyles. In a certain sense, this line of reasoning is undoubtedly correct. However, the rate of consumption in developing countries will only increase in this century, as the world population is expected to swell from the current six billion to some ten billion people. Lifestyle changes are, without question, an important part of the solution, but we must not assume that such changes alone will ensure global sustainability.
Thus, the next option is to moderate our effect on the environment by developing new technologies that reduce two things: the amount of waste we produce and our reliance on non-renewable resources. More specifically, we must work to:
1. Improve energy efficiency
2. Develop new recycle-oriented systems in regards to materials and energy
3. Develop new energy sources, such as efficient fuel cells and power generation that takes advantage of forces of nature
When it comes to actually implementing such systems, however, we are still very much at the trial-and-error stage.
I believe that the large corporations of the world have a responsibility to actively work to resolve environmental issues, because their role as producer and service provider makes them, in effect, the link between the environment and consumers, and places them in a unique position to effect change.
Yet, corporations cannot shoulder this burden alone. Government bodies, non-profit organizations and consumers must all play a part to engender sustainable development. Without the support of these other groups, the environmental strategies adopted by corporations will surely fail. Any and all initiatives pursued by corporations must coordinate the efforts of these various social groups.
It is undeniable that the global environmental crisis is the most critical issue facing humanity in the 21st century, and thus, the global community must make finding solutions to these issues its highest priority. I believe that the historic and civilizational value of this century rests upon the way in which we overcome these difficulties.

The second important issue, as I have said, is ensuring human security. Since the end of the cold war, we have seen conflicts around the world expand beyond national borders to become full-fledged wars. And now, we see that acts of terrorism and international crime are on the rise. Our current methods for ensuring human security are becoming less effective; they can no longer guarantee the safety of the public. For this reason, we must act now to establish new systems that emphasize human rights, humanitarian aid, disarmament, and conflict prevention.
Another prominent threat to human security is the degradation of living standards due to poverty. It is clear that poverty must be alleviated through fostering economic development, ensuring job security, and improving social security systems.
It goes without saying that ensuring good physical health is an essential element of human security. It is imperative that we seek to curtail the worldwide spread of infectious diseases, such as HIV, SARS and so on.
It is becoming increasingly important to strengthen international ties and support systems in order to aid this process.
In the face of the current human security crisis, Cambridge University’s Prof. Amartya Sen, Nobel laureate of Economic and one of the leading advocates of human security concept, was, in 2001, made the co-chair of the U.N. Commission on Human Security, together with Dr. Sadako Ogata, the former U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and now the President of JICA.
As you already know, the Commission has released its precious report for this year, which proposes a new security framework. I believe that every one of us has to study it sincerely and think about what we can do, as individuals, to improve the human security situation.

The third important goal is to ensure the co-existence, and indeed, the co-prosperity of the diverse peoples of the world. There are countless cultures in existence around the world, and their very value lies in their uniqueness.
However, the history of humanity has seen countless tragic clashes between cultures and cultural ideologies, inevitably resulting in mutual destruction. History has also seen many instances where people learn to respect one another’s cultures, and work together to create a new culture with new values. As numerous lives are being lost amidst fighting around the world today, and as irreplaceable cultural treasures continue to be destroyed, I believe it is more important than ever that the nations of the world learn to respect one another and recognize the value of cultural diversity.
Back in the 12th century, during the hegemonies of the Holy Roman Empire and the Islamic Empire, the emperors Friedrich the Second and Al-Camil signed a peace treaty over the holy city of Jerusalem. If they were wise enough to find trust in each other, 900 years ago, we can surely do better today, in the 21st century.
The global society of today should learn from history and work to lay down new rules to guide cultures toward peaceful co-existence and co-prosperity.

Toady, the global community is counting on global-minded youth to find and implement solutions to these pressing issues.
In particular, we need people who can see the bigger picture; people who can think globally but are down-to-earth and practical in their actions.
I am highly impressed with all of you who are attending the World Student Summit, because you are bravely confronting harsh realities, brainstorming on complex issues that must take into account the diverse cultures and histories of the world.
As the president of the university that hosted the first World Student Summit, I would like to express my belief that you possess the unique ability to help solve these difficult issues and stand at the front lines of change. It goes without saying that I hope each and every one of you will take the initiative to pursue this goal.
I do not believe that you have gathered here at the National University of Singapore to simply discuss global issues. I believe that you are here to discuss what each individual can to help bring about real change, and I sincerely hope that the Summit will continue in future years as a place where students and youth can join in the pursuit of a common goal.
As I have mentioned, the university of which I am president, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, is a new institution, opened in the year 2000. As Japan’s first truly international university, we currently have enrolled 1,600 international students from 67 countries and regions around the world, who study alongside same number of Japanese students.
You could say that our campus is like a microcosm of the world, where people of diverse cultures have the opportunity to interact on a daily basis. We have a number of students hailing from your home countries as well. The first World Student Summit was hosted last year by our university, and we are planning on hosting the event again in the year after next, 2005.

To conclude, I would like to share with you some words spoken by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan at last year’s summit:
“It is very encouraging that you are already involved in shaping the world that your will inherit and lead. I hope you will continue that engagement, and help the United Nations in its ongoing global mission to build a more peaceful, equitable and sustainable life for all the world’s people. In that spirit of partnership, please accept my best wishes for success.”
I hope that everyone here will be able to use their deep insights into the future of the 21st century to boldly engage the difficult issues faced by our world today.
Thank you very much for your attention.

※ Keynote speech delivered for the 2003 World Student Summit in Singapore(National University of Singapore) in December 18, 2003.