Number of Japanese Workers at U.N. Agencies Hits Record

Jiji Press

15:02 JST, December 14, 2025

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — The number of Japanese workers at U.N. agencies as of the end of 2024 was 979, the highest since records began in 1990.

While the figure is close to the Japanese government’s target of 1,000 workers in 2025, it accounts for only 2% of the overall total of U.N. agency workers.

By boosting the number of Japanese staff, the government aims to increase those promoted to leadership positions and enhance the country’s influence within the United Nations.

“It is extremely important for Japanese people to play active roles in various posts in order for the country to take the lead in forming rules in the international community,” Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said at a press conference on Friday.

According to the Foreign Ministry, the number of Japanese who hold deputy director or higher positions at 44 U.N. agencies, including the secretariat, also hit a record high of 94.

As the United Nations proceeds with staff reductions, a ministry official said, “We have to send talented personnel to take more positions.”

The government is scrambling to secure talent by utilizing a system to dispatch young workers from public and private sectors to international organizations and by conducting public relations activities at career seminars.

In 2021, 16 Japanese government agencies, led by the Foreign Ministry and the National Security Secretariat, launched a conference aimed at securing senior positions in international organizations for Japanese by strategically selecting and developing personnel.

As a result of such efforts, Toshiyuki Onuma, a former official of the transport ministry, was elected the next council president of the International Civil Aviation Organization last month.

This brings the number of Japanese leaders at U.N. specialized agencies to two, which is a record high. The other Japanese leader is Masahiko Metoki, director general of the Universal Postal Union, which sets rules for international mail.

China has held top positions in four U.N. agencies in the past, and the goal for Japan is to further promote its nationals to such positions.

A senior Foreign Ministry official emphasized that Japanese securing leadership posts not only demonstrates the country’s presence but also facilitates information gathering.