It has been 2 years passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake hit mainly in Tohoku Area on March 11, 2011 that has changed many people's way of living and has affected people's behavior and way of thinking.
Because of the huge damages caused by this enormous disaster, Japanese people had huge anxiety about their future and resentment to injustice or unreasonable things, but they never forget about strong will to think over their society's mode, lifestyle, and empathy to feel other's sorrow and pain.

It has been an extremely arduous time for Japan. Yet at the same time, it has been a period during which Japan has once again realized, and once again given thanks, that we stand together with the world.

I have been receiving up-dated reports including many medical data from our staff in Asia-Pacific (AP) Office in Tokyo. AP has been reporting about their activities about the Great East Japan Earthquake here in United Nations NY Headquarters.
As I am representative of headquarters of the Friends of the United Nations, I am expecting for our staff in Tokyo to continuous support for victims who are still suffering impacts that were caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake since our staff in Tokyo is focusing on many programs that maintain sustainable support for those victims.

Japan is an important member of the United Nations. And, the United Nations is also important for Japan.
The world remembers. We know many people are still evacuating from their own homes. We realize the economic damage is enormous, and understand that many wounds will never be fully healed. These are the sad truth.
However, please do not forget about other truth that the United Nations and the world are always staying together with Japan.

Although Japanese people have been facing massive neural disaster so many times, I truly believe that people can even make better Japan before.

日本の人々の生活と社会、更に考え方をも変え、そして世界にも大きな影響を与えた東日本大地震から2年が経過しました。

この未曾有の震災により、多くの人々がいつまた起こるとも分からない地震と将来に対する大きな不安、理不尽なことや不正への疑問や怒りなどに襲われました。
しかし社会のあり方や生活様式を再考慮しようとする意欲、痛みを分かち合う共感の心等は忘れませんでした。

東日本大震災は、日本にとって計り知れない困難な時間でしたが、同時に日本が世界と繋がっていることを再認識出来た機会でもありました。

私は、東京の国連の友Asia-Pacific (FOUNAP) スタッフより、医学的なデーターを含む詳細なレポートを受け取っています。FOUNAPは、毎年国連本部において活動報告も行っており、今も東日本大震災の影響で苦しんでおられる被災者の方々への支援として、FOUNAPスタッフが持続的な活動を主眼に置き、多岐に渡る被災者の支援活動を今も続けている事に、本部としても今後も大変期待しております。

日本は国連にとって大変重要な国であり、日本にとっても国連は重要な存在です。
現在も多くの人々が自宅に戻れず、経済の損失も膨大であり、多くの人々の心が傷ついたままであることは非常に悲しい事実です。
しかし、国連はいつも日本と共に歩んでいる事実も忘れないで下さい。

幾度も厳しい災害と直面しても、日本は更に素晴らしい国へと復興出来ると信じております。

　
国連の友 代表 ノエル　J.ブラウン　
【国連環境計画（UNEP）特別顧問・前北米局長】