This Japanese honor has been given to Obaid, former executive director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), for her work with governments across the world to establish programs to empower women and for her achievements in the field of youth affairs.

“Obaid, during her long career at the UN, emphasized the importance of promoting development, taking into consideration cultural values and religious beliefs that shape people and nation as well as affect actions,” said Japanese Ambassador Shigeru Endo in Riyadh on Tuesday.

The tremendous support provided by Obaid to the development of the Saudi-Japan relations as well as her contributions in the international arena cannot be forgotten, Endo added.

Referring to the contributions made by Obaid, the envoy said that she played an important role in the implementation of human security and maternal and child health policies promoted by Japan on the occasion of the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) and the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit in 2008.

A ceremony will be organized at the Japan Embassy on Oct. 9 to present the award to Obaid, said the diplomat.

Obaid was the executive director of UNFPA and an undersecretary general of the UN from 2000 to 2010. Before joining UNFPA, Obaid was deputy executive secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) from 1993 to 1998.

In 1963, Obaid became the first Saudi woman to receive a government scholarship to study at a university in the US.