What makes you happy? Everyone will have their own answers.

In November 2011, the king and queen of Bhutan came to Japan. They visited Tohoku’s devastated districts, and their warm smiles reminded many Japanese of happiness, which had been lost since the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011.

Bhutan is a small country surrounded by the Himalayan Mountains. After the Meiji Restoration, Japan aimed to become an economically huge country, but Bhutan did not. Bhutan is not an economically prosperous country, but many of its residents claim to be happy. It is the concept of GNH (Gross National Happiness) that makes a lot of Bhutanese feel happy.

The Bhutanese government has carried out four policies based on GNH.

1. Promotion of sustainable development

2. Conservation of the natural environment

3. Preservation and promotion of cultural values

4. Establishment of good governance

Bhutan has faced difficulties such as population inflow to cities and unemployment since it began modernizing its society. Young people, influenced by television and the Internet, have begun to immerse themselves in foreign cultures. However, Bhutanese society has remained mostly unchanged. Young people still believe that bonds with close friends and family are the most important connections in their lives.

Have you seen rakugo? If not, here are some points to remember. It is where a single performer tells a story and acts out the conversations of multiple characters. In order to represent many things, the performer uses a sensu and a tenugui.

Join the Green Festival in Aoi River. Let’s help clean the riverbank and put baby fish in the river. At the stands, enjoy delicious food. Bring your own chopsticks, and you will get free snacks. It will be a lot of fun!

Pollution of rivers and lakes is exceeding nature’s ability to recycle and purify them. However, we can all help by choosing a sustainable choice and striving towards zero-waste fashion whenever possible. We can buy and sell clothing at thrift stores.

Because of the use of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas since the 1800s, human activity has been the primary cause of climate change. As a result, the temperature has risen by approximately 1.1°C (degrees Celsius).

Drought, scarcity of water, severe fires, rising sea levels, flooding, melting polar ice, catastrophic storms, and declining biodiversity are all examples of climate change’s consequences. Some of us are already more vulnerable to climate change, such as those living in small island nations and other developing countries,

Sea-level rise and saltwater intrusion have forced entire towns to flee, and persistent droughts are threatening people’s lives. The number of “climate refugees” is expected to rise in the coming years. Everyone must take action to combat climate change.

The Paris Agreement established an international framework for dealing with climate change issues after 2020. It requires all participating countries and regions, including developing nations, to establish carbon neutral targets. By agreeing to halt forest loss and land degradation by 2030, 137 countries have taken an important step forward.

Furthermore, over 30 countries, six major vehicle manufacturers, and others have pledged to make all new car sales zero-emission by 2040 globally. It will also speed up the decarbonization of road transport, which presently accounts for around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, financial institutions announced plans to redirect trillions of dollars toward achieving global zero-emissions.

Humans are polluting rivers and lakes faster than nature can recycle and purify them. As consumers, we can help by choosing a sustainable option whenever possible and aiming for zero-waste fashion. We may buy clothes from a vintage or thrift stores.

Since the 1800s, human activities have been the primary cause of climate change due to the use of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas. As a result, the Earth’s temperature has risen by about 1.1 °C (degrees Celsius) since the late 1800s.

Climate change is now causing severe droughts, scarcity of water , devastating fires, rising sea levels, flooding, melting polar ice, catastrophic storms, and a decline in biodiversity. Climate change has an impact on our health, food production, housing, safety, and employment.

The Paris Agreement is an international framework for climate change issues after 2020. It requires all participating countries and regions, including developing countries, to set carbon neutrality targets. 137 countries have taken an important step forward by agreeing to stop forest loss and land degradation by 2030.

Furthermore, more than 30 countries, six major vehicle manufacturers and other players such as cities, have stated their intention for all new car sales worldwide to be zero-emission by 2040.

A birth certificate is a legal document that proves the existence of an individual. This proof gives children various rights. For example, you can get an education by proving your age.

Sustainable development is severely limited in the least developed countries (LDCs). They have low levels of human assets and are highly exposed to economic and environmental shocks. In response, the United Nations Technology Bank was founded in 2018 to assist the 46 LDCs and former least developed nations over the next five years.

The bank serves as a link between LDCs and those who can help them. It enables access to current technology and encourages collaborative initiatives with suitable partners inside and beyond the UN system, including the private sector. The UN Technology Bank’s work directly supports a wide range of SDGs. These are economic self-sufficiency, sustainable access to healthcare technology, climate change mitigation, local skills development, ecosystem development, and academic cooperation.

The Japanese government provides funds and technology to developing countries, and the funds are called “Official Development Assistance” (ODA).

Climate change, water issues, large-scale natural disasters, infectious diseases, food issues, and energy are just a few examples of global issues. There are many expectations from all over the world for Japan, which strives to solve global problems through development cooperation.

Japan’s ODA celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2014. Throughout this history,　the international community and the roles required for development cooperation have changed dramatically. According to polls, an increasing number of people believe that economic cooperation should be reduced in light of Japan’s difficult economic and financial situation. Therefore, it is also necessary to review the ideal form of development cooperation without being bound by the conventional framework.

A birth certificate is a legal document that proves the existence of an individual. This proof gives children various rights. Without it, children are invisible to the government and are at risk of exposure to various types of abuse and neglect, including child marriage, child labor, and trafficking.

Launched in 2018, the United Nations Technology Bank offers programs and projects to enhance the science, technology, and innovation (STI) capabilities of the least developed countries.

The UN Technology Bank’s primary role is to share knowledge of STI. It acts as a knowledge hub, connecting the resources available to least developed countries and the major STI actors who can meet these needs. In order to ensure that those countries have easy access to existing technologies, the UN Technology Bank promotes cooperation with relevant organizations and countries.

The Japanese government provides funds and technology to developing countries, and the funds are called “Official Development Assistance” (ODA). It is implemented for peacebuilding, governance, the promotion of basic human rights, and humanitarian assistance.

About 146 countries have people who suffer from poverty, lack enough food, and do not receive sufficient education and medical care. Japan faces high expectations from the world for its assistance. It is an important role of Japan to support developing countries and achieve the SDGs as well, but in this long history, the situation has been changing. Therefore, it is also necessary to review the ideal form of development cooperation without being bound by the conventional framework.

Approximately 80 percent of rural communities in underdeveloped countries still rely on traditional plant-based medications for basic healthcare. Overfishing and overhunting destroy the resources of certain species while putting others at risk of extinction.

For more than a decade, the number of people forced to flee their homes due to conflict and persecution has continuously increased. These figures exploded in 2012, resulting in the global refugee crisis. In conflict-affected areas, around 28.5 million primary school-aged children are not attending school. Half of the world’s refugee population is made up of children under the age of 18.

Many refugee boys and girls are forced to live in unacceptable conditions for children, with limited access to education, healthcare, and mobility. Refugees are frequently left with little to call their own. They are in desperate need of food, clean water, and clothing. Refugee children and their families are at risk of disease and abuse. They receive essential items and relief as a result of the generous support of refugee camps worldwide.

The Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) system plays an important role in recording all major life events, such as births and deaths. Despite this, over a hundred countries do not have functioning CRVS systems. According to birth registration, 73% of children under the age of five have their births recorded, whereas just 46% of children in Sub-Saharan Africa have their births recorded.

A birth certificate is a vital piece of legal documentation. It allows children to be able to go to school, receive medical care, and eventually find work. Without it, a child is invisible to the government and susceptible to abuse and neglect. Those include child marriage, child labor, and human trafficking. If we don’t know who these children are or where they live, we won’t be able to help them improve their lives.