Dr Hanifa Mezoui, Chief of Non-Governmental Organizations Section, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations addressed the meeting. She provided insight into the Secretary General's call for greater UN-civil society cooperation, and emphasized ways in which CSOs can achieve greater effectiveness in their relations with the UN, particularly in respect of working towards the UN's Millennium Development Goals and utilizing Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the UN.Following presentations from each 'focal point' (defined as regional centers), participants identified the below issues as potential armed conflicts or situations which threaten to further deepen the crisis in Northeast Asia:

• Crisis of the Korean Peninsula
• China-Taiwan cross-straits issue
• Kuril Islands / Northern Territories dispute between Japan and Russia
• Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution under threat and remilitarization of Japan
• Dispatch of troops to Iraq by Japan and the Republic of Korea
• Senkaku / Diaoyu Islands dispute between Japan and China
• Challenges of development and human security
• Historical understanding and reconciliation

In addition to debating the various issues, participants discussed ways the group could better cooperate to address these challenges, recognizing that civil society in Northeast Asia is relatively weak. In particular, the nuclear weapons crisis on the Korean peninsular, and the re-militarization of Japan were marked as urgent current issues that deserve immediate and sustained attention.Proposals for action were made and included a diverse range of political and cultural activities. Concrete ideas that will be acted upon include:

1. Sending an Open Letter to the heads of state involved in the six-nation talks on Korean nuclear weapons crisis;
   
   
2. International Student programme for Northeast Asian youth onboard Peace Boat;
   
   
3. Speaking Tours to neighbouring countries by members of civil society organizations. A concrete result of the first Regional Consultation Meeting in Tokyo, was the appointment of the Regional Steering Committee, which is comprised generally of two representatives from each focal point in the region. The Committee will coordinate further activities including fund-raising and outreach, as well as organize a Regional Conference on "The Role of Civil Society in the Prevention of Armed Conflict" to be held tentatively in November or December 2004. Peace Boat and APA were appointed to the position of Co-Regional Initiators, and will take responsibility for administrative tasks, and facilitating communication between participants.
   

Links:

Asia Peace Alliance – www.asian-peace.net/

European Centre for Conflict Prevention – www.conflict-prevention.net/

Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict – www.gppac.net/index.html

Beijing – Nanking - Shanghai

• MO Bangfu, Freelance journalist resident in Japan, Member of Tokyo Metropolitan Television Broadcast Programs Advisory Board
• ZHU Cheng Shan, Director, Nanking Massacre Museum; Professor, National Science Museum; Founder and Director, Nanking Peace Institute

Hong Kong

• AU Pak Kuen, Vice-president of Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union
• Jeannie MANIPON, Secretariat Coordinator of Asian Region Regional Exchange for New Alternatives (ARENA); Executive Director of Asian Peace Alliance (APA)

Seoul*

• JUNG Gyung-Lan, Trainer and Policy Committee Mmeber, Conflict Resolution Center, Women Making Peace
• LEE Hyun-Sook, Representative, Women Making Peace; Council of Unification Education; National Council for Peace on the Korean Peninsula
• LEE Jae-Young, Peace Programme Coordinator, Korea Anabaptist Center; Researcher, Conflict Resolution Center, Women Making Peace

*The participants from Seoul represent a national coalition for the GPPAC process, comprised of 14 NGOs from South Korea.

Taipei

• Dennis LIN, Director of Research and Information Department, Peace Time Foundation of Taiwan
• Phillip YANG, Professor, Department of Political Sciences; Director, Taiwan Security Research Center, National Taiwan Univesity

Tokyo - Nagoya

• KIMIJIMA Akihiko, Professor of Law, Hokkai Gakuen University Sapporo and Co-Chairperson, Nonviolent Peaceforce Japan
• KODAMA Katsuya, Associate Professor in Peace Research and Sociology, Mie University; Secretary General, International Peace Research Association
• MUSHAKOJI Kinhide, Secretary General of the International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR), Japan Committee Member, APA
• YOSHIOKA Tatusya, Director and Co-founder of Peace Boat

Vladivostok

• Vadim GAPONENKO, Director, International Research Center, Maritime State University, Vladivostok
• Tatiana RUCHKINA, Organizer of youth-exchange and environmental clean up projects, President of Pacific Wave (NGO)

Observers

• LI Song, Director of Japan division of Association for Democratic China; President, Association of Chinese Residents in Japan
• Kong Sam ONN, Project Manager and Lawyer, Publications and Legal Advocacy, Cambodian Defenders Project
• SATO Yasunobu, Professor of Law, Graduate School of International Development, University of Nagoya