Other website sections

»Sports Jobs

»Tenders

»Directory

»Volunteer opportunities

»Conferences

TOKYO 2016, Japan's Bid to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, today welcomed the Global Peace Index 2008 ranking of Japan as the world’s fifth-most peaceful nation. The TOKYO 2016 Bid Committee is confident that this unbiased confirmation of Japan’s high standing in terms of international peace and domestic safety and security gives further weight and credibility to Japan’s Bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games.

Based on 24 qualitative and quantitative indicators, Japan's exceptionally low levels of violent crime, violent demonstrations and homicides, among many other favourable factors, led to the country being ranked fifth out of 140 nations, following only Iceland, Denmark, Norway and New Zealand.

Dr Ichiro Kono, Chairman and CEO of TOKYO 2016, was quite pleased with the result: "We are honoured that the report endorses Japan's high level of domestic safety and security. TOKYO 2016 is unconditionally confident that Tokyo is one of the world’s safest and most peaceful cities. Should Tokyo be honoured to host the 2016 Olympics, we can assure the safety of spectators and Olympic family alike throughout the Games.

The report gives us further encouragement to bring the 2016 Games to Japan and thereby strengthen Tokyo’s sporting, social and environmental legacies to be enjoyed in harmony and peace by future generations."

The Global Peace Index is a collaborative effort of its founder, Australian IT entrepreneur and philanthropist Steve Killelea, and the Economist Intelligence Unit, the business-to-business arm of The Economist Group, which publishes The Economist Newspaper. The Global Peace Index 2008 is based on 24 indicators, including internal and external factors ranging from a nation's level of military expenditure to its relations with neighbouring countries and the level of respect for human rights. The indicators were selected by an international panel of academics, business people, philanthropists and peace institutions. The GPI is collated and calculated by the Economist Intelligence Unit.

For the report, as well as the full list of 140 nations, please see www.visionofhumanity.org/gpi/results/rankings/2008.