Celebrity File

No. 11

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 Ogata, Sadako  緒方 貞子

−Expert in International Affairs−

−Uploaded on March 7, 2003

英文 重要語句

Coming from a country where women find few opportunities for advancement, one woman has managed to climb to the very top in international affairs. Sadako Ogata was the United Nations' High Commissioner for Refugees for 10 years. It was an achievement to be proud of, especially for a woman who started life in the "man's world" of Japan.


advancement 出世
manage to do 首尾よく…する
international affairs 国際情勢
high commissioner 高等弁務官
refugee 難民
achievement 業績
■■
She was born in Tokyo in 1927 and from an early age was interested in international affairs. At first, she seemed destined to enjoy a successful career in academics. She graduated in 1951 from the University of the Sacred Heart, Tokyo in 1951 and two years later earned a master's degree in international relations from Georgetown University in Washington D.C. Ten years later she received her Ph.D. from U.C., Berkeley's Department of Political Science. In 1964, the University of California published her first book Defiance in Manchuria: The Making of Japanese Foreign Policy 1931-1932.


from an early age 幼いころから
destined to do …する運命にある
academics 大学の研究活動
the Sacred Heart 聖心
master’s degree 修士の学位
international relations 国際関係
Ph.D.  博士号
political science 政治学
defiance 果敢な抵抗
Manchuria 満州
 
■■■
Returning to Japan, Ms. Ogata lectured in international relations at her alma mater and the International Christian University where she later became an associate professor. While staying active in the academic life she became a minister for the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations. She worked her way up from there and served on several committees including U.N. Commission on Human Rights and as chairman of the Executive Board of UNICEF.


alma mater 母校
associate professor 助教授
Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations 国連日本政府代表部
work one’s way up 出世する
Commission on Human Rights 人権委員会
Executive Board 執行理事会
 
■■■■
All of these achievements were followed by her election in December of 1990 for a three-year term as High Commissioner for Refugees. She was reelected twice and ended her term in December 2000. During her ten years as High Commissioner, the world changed and the number of refugees grew enormously. There were wars in Iraq, Bosnia, Rwanda, Kosovo and many other areas. All of these conflicts resulted in millions of refugees. Suddenly the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees became one of the most important in the U.N. and Ms. Ogata became one of the world's most familiar faces as she worked in very challenging and complex diplomatic situations. She has stood her ground while negotiating with Taliban warriors, Iraqi officials and Balkan leaders. She has proved that a woman can work successfully in international affairs.


enormously けた外れに
conflict 紛争
result in ...  …に帰着する
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 国連難民高等弁務官事務所
familiar よく知られている
complex 複雑な
diplomatic 外交の
stand one’sground 一歩も引かない
warrior 兵士
prove …を証明する
 
■■■■■
On October 11, 2002, Ms. Ogata was awarded the J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding. Previous winners of the award include former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and former South African President Nelson Mandela. Over her career, she has received honorary degrees from 14 universities around the world.


award …を授与する;賞
previous 以前の
secretary-general 事務総長
honorary degree 名誉学位
 
■■■■■■
Today, Ms. Ogata remains active writing, lecturing and serving the U.N. in several capacities. Ms. Ogata is married and has a son and a daughter.


capacity 地位;役割
 

−written by Brock Spore

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