Akiko Ito
UNITAR/CIFAL Japan Executive Director
Past Chief of the Secretariat of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
Akiko Ito is the Executive Director of UNITAR CIFAL Japan, part of the Global CIFAL Network of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). Established in 2024 and based in Iwaki, Fukushima, CIFAL Japan focuses on training and capacity-building in inclusive disaster resilience, well-being and inclusion, ESG integration, and youth leadership.
Ms. Ito spent more than three decades with the United Nations, including serving as Chief of the Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and as the UN Focal Point on Disability.
She holds degrees from Sophia University, the University of Chicago, and UC Berkeley School of Law, and is a guest professor at the University of Osaka.