Foreign Minister’s Commendations for FY 2025 (28 August 2025)
2025/9/5
On 28 August, Mr. Yoshiyuki Takagi, former Assistant Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and Ms. Shoko Shimozawa, former Director of the Division of Emergency, Security, and Supply at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), were awarded the Foreign Minister’s Commendations for FY 2025.
The Foreign Minister’s Commendations are awarded to individuals and groups with outstanding achievements in international fields, in order to acknowledge their contributions to the promotion of friendship between Japan and other countries and areas. The Commendations also aim to promote the understanding and support of the Japanese public for the activities of the recipients.
Mr. Takagi’s Achievements
Mr. Takagi worked at WIPO from 1986, holding various positions, including at director-level, and was appointed Assistant Director General in 2009. Over a total of 28 years, he contributed to the organization’s activities, including system development, cooperation with developing countries, and human resource development. As a senior executive, he contributed to the implementation of projects funded by voluntary contributions from Japan to WIPO, which have been in place since 1987, and was instrumental in establishing the WIPO Japan Office. As Assistant Director General, he also contributed to the organization’s activities through leading initiatives such as digital transformation. Additionally, he was a founding member of the Japanese Staff Association of International Organizations in Geneva, serving twice as its president, and contributed to increasing the number of Japanese staff in international organizations based in the city.
Ms. Shimozawa’s Achievements
Ms. Shimozawa began working for UNHCR in 1991, engaging in refugee support in Latin America and the Middle East among other regions. After being appointed Director of the Division of Emergency, Security, and Supply at UNHCR headquarters in 2020, she worked on improving response manuals for humanitarian crises. She also contributed to responses to humanitarian crises, such as supporting the transportation of supplies by Japan Self-Defense Force aircraft during the 2022 Ukraine crisis, establishing a humanitarian crisis response training center in Africa with the Japanese government in 2023, and providing support for the evacuation of Japanese nationals during the Sudan crisis in the same year. Furthermore, she contributed to UNHCR’s work for many years by promoting and enhancing for understanding within Japanese society of refugee issues and UNHCR’s activities.
Related Link
https://www.mofa.go.jp/press/release/pressite_000001_01608.html
The Foreign Minister’s Commendations are awarded to individuals and groups with outstanding achievements in international fields, in order to acknowledge their contributions to the promotion of friendship between Japan and other countries and areas. The Commendations also aim to promote the understanding and support of the Japanese public for the activities of the recipients.
Mr. Takagi’s Achievements
Mr. Takagi worked at WIPO from 1986, holding various positions, including at director-level, and was appointed Assistant Director General in 2009. Over a total of 28 years, he contributed to the organization’s activities, including system development, cooperation with developing countries, and human resource development. As a senior executive, he contributed to the implementation of projects funded by voluntary contributions from Japan to WIPO, which have been in place since 1987, and was instrumental in establishing the WIPO Japan Office. As Assistant Director General, he also contributed to the organization’s activities through leading initiatives such as digital transformation. Additionally, he was a founding member of the Japanese Staff Association of International Organizations in Geneva, serving twice as its president, and contributed to increasing the number of Japanese staff in international organizations based in the city.
Ms. Shimozawa’s Achievements
Ms. Shimozawa began working for UNHCR in 1991, engaging in refugee support in Latin America and the Middle East among other regions. After being appointed Director of the Division of Emergency, Security, and Supply at UNHCR headquarters in 2020, she worked on improving response manuals for humanitarian crises. She also contributed to responses to humanitarian crises, such as supporting the transportation of supplies by Japan Self-Defense Force aircraft during the 2022 Ukraine crisis, establishing a humanitarian crisis response training center in Africa with the Japanese government in 2023, and providing support for the evacuation of Japanese nationals during the Sudan crisis in the same year. Furthermore, she contributed to UNHCR’s work for many years by promoting and enhancing for understanding within Japanese society of refugee issues and UNHCR’s activities.
Related Link
https://www.mofa.go.jp/press/release/pressite_000001_01608.html