LocationsJPO Story - Hoyumi Yashiro
September 30, 2025
Inauguration of national dialogue platform among the Sierra Leone Police, the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority and the Bike Riders Union, at the Sierra Leone Police’s premise in Hastings, Western Area, Sierra Leone, November 2024
What is your educational background?
I have a Bachelor of Laws from Osaka University where I specialized in international public policy. During my undergraduate years, I studied abroad at University of California, San Diego as an exchange student. I have a Master of Arts in Conflict, Security and Development from King’s College London.
What made you apply to the JPO programme/what is your motivation to work with your UN agency?
Since childhood, I have always been interested in working for peace, which influenced my decision to pursue both undergraduate and graduate studies in related fields. After obtaining my master’s degree in London, I chose to work in Tokyo as a management consultant at one of global consulting firms. While supporting project management for leading international companies and their offices based in Japan and Southeast Asia, I learned how organizations can improve their structures and operations to become top performers in their respective industries
After three exciting years in the private sector, I developed a strong desire to work directly for peace and development, building on the experience I had cultivated up to that point. I began exploring opportunities, including applying for JPO programmes sponsored by the Government of Japan. In the meantime, I had the chance to work with a civil society organization focused on peacebuilding in Bosnia and Herzegovina for two months, after which I moved to New York to work at the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations. There, I covered political and peacebuilding issues as well as international legal affairs over the course of three years. I was thrilled to learn that I had been selected as a JPO who would be working in New York.
I started my JPO assignment initially at the Peacebuilding Support Office, within the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat. While working there, I became increasingly interested in the work of UNDP, as a UN organization that spearheads concrete efforts to build and sustain peace on the ground. After two years at UN Headquarters—and a total of five years working in New York—an opportunity arose for me to transition from the UN Secretariat to UNDP. I grabbed this opportunity to finally work for UNDP. Even more exciting for a peacebuilding expert, I was assigned to manage a peacebuilding project in Sierra Leone.
Launch event of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2025-2030. Freetown, Sierra Leone July 2024
What are the main activities/tasks you are working on? What is a day at the office/in the field like?
As part of UNDP Sierra Leone, I manage the “Empowering Youth Bike Riders as Sustainable Agents of Peace in Sierra Leone” project as its project manager. The project is funded by the United Nations Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund and implemented by UNDP and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF).
In Sierra Leone, commercial motorbike riders are the backbone of the economy, riding motorcycles to transport passengers and goods. The project aims to transform these commercial motorbike riders into peace agents who promote messages of peace and non-violence within their communities and beyond, while also improving their relationships with state authorities. My role is to lead the overall management and support the day-to-day implementation of the project, in collaboration with a wide range of partners—including commercial motorbike riders, state authorities, non-governmental organizations, and civil society organizations, among others.
In your day-to-day work, what SDG(s) are you helping to implement?
The most obvious one is SDG16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) as I lead the management of a project aimed at promoting peace in Sierra Leone’s communities by transforming the behaviors of commercial motorbike riders and supporting state authorities in navigating their relationships with them. SDG 5 (Gender Equality) is also critical in every project we implement. I specifically support this goal by leading efforts to address sexual and gender-based violence. Additionally, I contribute to the achievement of SDG 1 (No Poverty) by supporting the empowerment of young commercial motorbike riders.
What has been the most rewarding experience to date for you at your duty station? (work and/or non-work related)
The most rewarding experience for me at my current duty station was supporting the signing of a National Agreement between the state authorities—the Sierra Leone Police and the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority—and the Bike Riders Union in October 2024, following a series of dialogues. It was surreal to witness the peacebuilding impact of this project firsthand. Previously, state authorities viewed bike riders solely as 'troublemakers,' and bike riders were often involved violent confrontations with the police. Now, that mindset and dynamic have shifted. It is incredibly rewarding to see both parties engaging in constructive dialogue and working together to find solutions to the issues affecting them—both through platforms established by the project and even beyond the project scope.
Training on Sexual Offences Law for the Sierra Leone Police and Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority personnel in Western Area, Sierra Leone, October 2024
What set of skills have you developed most throughout your assignment?
At UNDP Sierra Leone, I have developed a broad set of skills that will help me navigate challenging projects in the future. The skills I have developed and strengthened range from project management skills in development projects to further expertise in peacebuilding and sustaining peace, and youth empowerment. Additionally, I have enhanced my soft skills, particularly in how to interact with vulnerable populations in challenging contexts.
What piece of advice would you give to those who are considering applying to the JPO Programme?
Keep trying, even if you don’t get a JPO assignment on your first attempt. I applied to the JPO programme multiple times over the course of several years before finally receiving an assignment. While I recognize that this is a challenging time for us, as peacebuilding experts and development practitioners, to navigate our careers, I firmly believe that there is a place for everyone to contribute to peace and development in the world.
How do you feel your JPO assignment will influence your career choices/opportunities within the UN?
The JPO Programme opened the door for me to a wide range of exciting opportunities to advance my career within the multilateral system. It also gave me the privilege of meeting wonderful colleagues, supervisors, and leaders—people who work tirelessly toward peace and development around the world. They continue to inspire me to work even harder. My JPO assignment has undoubtedly strengthened my determination to contribute to the UN’s mission to make the world a better place.
The JPO Programme opened the door for me to a wide range of exciting opportunities to advance my career within the multilateral system. It also gave me the privilege of meeting wonderful colleagues, supervisors, and leaders—people who work tirelessly toward peace and development around the world.Hoyumi Yashiro
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