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| >>ODA Policy on Conflict and Development >>Good Practices on Conflict and Development |
Last Updated: November 19, 2007 |
There has been a significant increase in support for conflict prevention, urgent post-conflict humanitarian assistance and post-conflict reconstruction in the developing countries. It is important to incorporate the perspective of "Human Security" in this process, protecting and empowering the individuals in every stage of post-conflict reconstruction and development. Japan's ODA Charter indicates that peacebuilding is one of Japan's priority issues by incorporating the perspective of "Human Security" into its basic policy. This is based on the idea that Japan's contribution to peace building through ODA maintains both security and prosperity of Japan.
As mutual interdependence grows, conflicts far from Japan can affect the security and prosperity of Japan. As stated in the basic policy of Japan's ODA Charter on the perspective of "Human Security", Japan's peace building is a priority issue. Japan also promotes conflict prevention and urgent humanitarian assistance to support and promote the end of conflicts as well as consolidation of peace and nation building after conflict.
At the workshop for reconciliation through Grass Roots/Human Security Grant Aid Cooperation/Bereaved Family from Israel and Palestine
The new ODA Medium-Term Policy clearly stated that the objective of peacebuilding is "to prevent the occurrence and recurrence of conflicts, alleviate the various difficulties that people face during and immediately after conflicts, and subsequently achieve long-term stable development. Japan is working towards this by cooperating with other international organizations, donors, internal private sector and NGOs in order to lead the peace and stability of society.
- The Framework Featured in ODA Charter ＆ Mid-Term Policy (Extracts)
Japan's Official Development Assistance Charter (August, 2003)
I. Philosophy ――Objectives, Policies, and Priorities
1. Objective
The objectives of Japan's ODA are to contribute to the peace and development of the international community, and thereby to help ensure Japan's own security and prosperity. Furthermore, conflicts and terrorism are occurring more frequently and they are becoming even more serious issues. Preventing conflicts and terrorism, and efforts to build peace, as well as efforts to foster democratization, and to protect human rights and the dignity of individuals have become major issues inherent to the stability and development of the international community.Japan aspires for world peace. Actively promoting the aforementioned efforts with ODA and manifesting this posture both at home and abroad is the most suitable policy for gaining sympathy and support from the international community for Japan's position. Therefore, Japan's ODA will continue to play an important role in the years to come.
2. Basic Policy
(2) Perspective of "Human Security"
In order to address direct threats to individuals such as conflicts, disasters, infectious diseases, it is important not only to consider the global, regional, and national perspectives, but also to consider the perspective of human security, which focuses on individuals. Accordingly, Japan will implement ODA to strengthen the capacity of local communities through human resource development. To ensure that human dignity is maintained at all stages, from the conflict stage to the reconstruction and development stages, Japan will extend assistance for the protection and empowerment of individuals.
3. Priority Issues
(4) Peace-building
In order to prevent conflicts from arising in developing regions, it is important to comprehensively address various factors that cause conflicts. As part of such undertakings, Japan will carry out ODA to achieve poverty reduction and the correction of disparities, as referred to above. In addition to assistance for preventing conflicts and emergency humanitarian assistance in conflict situations, Japan will extend bilateral and multilateral assistance flexibly and continuously for peace-building in accordance with the changing situation, ranging from assistance to expedite the ending of conflicts to assistance for the consolidation of peace and nation-building in post-conflict situations. For example, ODA will be used for: (a) assistance to facilitate the peace processes; (b) humanitarian and rehabilitation assistance, such as assistance for displaced persons and for the restoration of basic infrastructure; (c) assistance for assuring domestic stability and security, including disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration of ex-combatants (DDR), and the collection and disposal of weapons, including de-mining; and (d) assistance for reconstruction, including social and economic development and the enhancement of the administrative capabilities of governments.
4. Priority Regions
Africa has a large number of least developed countries, and is affected by conflicts and serious development issues, amid which self-help efforts are being stepped up. Japan will provide assistance for these efforts. The Middle East is an important region for energy supply and for the peace and stability of the international community, but it has destabilizing factors including the situation of Middle East peace process. Japan will provide assistance towards social stability and the consolidation of peace.
II. Principle of ODA Implementation
(2) Any use of ODA for military purposes or for aggravation of international conflicts should be avoided.
(3) Full attention should be paid to trends in recipient countries' military expenditures, their development and production of weapons of mass destruction and missiles, their export and import of arms, etc., so as to maintain and strengthen international peace and stability, including the prevention of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and from the viewpoint that developing countries should place appropriate priorities in the allocation of their resources on their own economic and social development.
Japan's Medium-Term Policy on ODA (February, 2005)
3. Priority Issues
(4) Peacebuilding
i. Japan's position on peace-building (PDF) 
(Japanese)
(a) Since the end of the Cold War, numerous regional and domestic conflicts have occurred. Not infrequently, conflicts have recurred after hostilities had once ceased. Conflicts bring about various problems, such as the creation of refugees and internal displaced persons, destruction of the social and economic infrastructure, and malfunctions in the governing structure. As a result, it becomes extremely difficult for people to maintain their lives, livelihoods and dignity, and development at the national and regional level is impeded. In this sense, peace and stability are prerequisites for development.
(b) The purpose of peace-building is to prevent the occurrence and recurrence of conflicts, alleviate the various difficulties that people face during and immediately after conflicts, and subsequently achieve long-term stable development. Assistance for the prevention of conflicts and in their closing stages, post-conflict emergency humanitarian assistance, and medium- to long-term reconstruction development assistance are essential to allow peace to take root. For example, employment generation and reconstruction of hospitals and schools through ODA enable people to sustain their livelihoods and gain access to education and health services. This in turn brings home to them the "dividends of peace," leading to peace and stability in a society. Assistance in peace-building needs to fully take into account and give consideration to promoting processes for peace, such as dialogue between opposing groups. The individual circumstances-political, social, historical and cultural-of each country and region must also be fully taken into account.
(c) Japan is determined to make an active contribution to peace-building in concert with international organizations, other donors, the domestic private sector, and NGOs.
- Initiatives＆Funding Commitment (Comprehensive Actions Towards Peace)
Human Resource Development in Asia for Peacebuilding (August, 2006) (Japanese / English)
Japan's Support for the Consolidation of Peace in Africa (February, 2006) (Japanese / English)
Japan and Australia toward a Creative Partnership (May, 2002) (Japanese / English)
Action from Japan on "Conflict and Development" (July, 2000) (Japanese / English (PDF))
- Initiatives & Funding Commitment (Mine Removal, Small Arms)
Land mine clearing operation in Afghanistan
Landmines, which are buried mainly in regions where conflicts have lasted for many years, and small arms, which are said to be the cause of a large number of conflict victims, are grave humanitarian issues because they have indiscriminately killed or injured non-combatants, such as civilians including children. At times, these landmines and weapons interfere with reconstruction and development activities or cause reoccurrence of conflicts.
The ODA Charter and the New Medium-Term Policy on ODA state, from the perspective of peacebuilding, that particular consideration will be given to providing assistance to enhance the capacity of developing countries regarding import and export control of weapons, prevention of illicit weapon transactions, the development of legal systems, and other areas in order to prevent conflicts. These also state that special consideration will be given to the collection and disposal of weapons, including landmines and small arms, and to the capacity building of landmine victims and others, in order to ensure domestic stability and security within the post-conflict countries
Statement by Mr. Katsuyuki Kawai Former Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs at "Nairobi Summit on Mine-Free World" (November and December, 2004) (Japanese / English)
Zero Victim Program (December, 1997) (Japanese / English (PDF))
(Land Mine)
In the Republic of Nicaragua, due to the internal conflict between Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional (FSLN) and the rightist anti-government military force (Contra) during 1979 to 1990, more than 130,000 antipersonnel mine were located near the border with Honduras. Since 1989, mine clearance activities have been started in cooperation with 11 other countries, EU and international organizations such as UNICEF and UNDP.
Japan has provided technology to enable mines clearing and the technical cooperation since 2000. The developed mines clearing machines enabled removing and collecting mines ten times more per day than one team doing the job. As a result, over the 3 and a half years, it was able to remove more than 12,000 mines and contributed to the human security as well as rural development and economic growth of the country where agriculture is the main industry such as a production of coffee.
(Small Arms)
In Cambodia, the small arms were used during the internal conflict continued since 1970, and they have still been in many places as the critical cause for threatening the nation in the case of using them for crimes. According to the requests from the Cambodian government, Japan has been implementing "Peace Building and Comprehensive Small Arms Management Programme in Cambodia" which combines the collection of small arms from the local residents and the community development program since 2003. As a result, more than 26,000 small arms and more than 87,000 explosives and munitions have been collected and this program contributed very much to the community's security.
- Cooperation with Multilateral Organizations
The Support for Afghanistan:
President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan accepting the last weapons from soldiers under the DDR program (Photo: Afghanistan's New Beginnings Program (ANBP))
Japan has been providing assistance in the areas of peace process, domestic security, and reconstruction based on the "Consolidation of Peace" initiative (Japanese), which was announced in May 2002 by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi on the occasion of her visit to Afghanistan. Assistance has been provided with emphasis on such areas as DDR (Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration), preparations for election, support for its media, support to administrative expenses, landmine removal, and infrastructure development (development of main highways, etc.). Japan is playing a leading role in the process of DDR, which allows for smooth progress in the reconstruction efforts. In March 2005, Japan extended a grant aid for conflict prevention and peacebuilding to implement, through UNDP, Afghanistan's New Beginnings Programme, which supports the Afghanistan Transitional Administration in carrying out the DDR process. The progress of the DDR process has been highly regarded not only by the Afghan government but also by the international community. By July 7, 2005, approximately 60,000 soldiers were disarmed and demobilized. Furthermore, the Regional Comprehensive Development Assistance Programme (the Ogata Initiative (Japanese/English)), which has been implemented based on the proposal made by then Special Representative of the Prime Minister Sadako Okada upon her two visits to Afghanistan, is highly regarded as an endeavor that presents a model for regional reconstruction assistance and promotes uninterrupted transition from humanitarian assistance to reconstruction and development.
Source: ODA White paper (2005)
The Support for Iraq:
School reconstruction project through UN-HABITAT (Photo: UN-HABITAT)
Based on the perspective that the promotion of international cooperation is important in the reconstruction assistance to Iraq, Japan supports various reconstruction projects implemented by UN organizations and the World Bank by extending US$490 million to the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq (hereinafter IRFFI), whose establishment was agreed upon at the above mentioned Madrid Conference. Moreover, Japan, the largest contributor to the IRFFI, has served as the chair of its Donors' Committee. Aside from the contribution to the IRFFI, Japan has extended approximately US$100 million via international organizations. Some specific projects include the Umm Qasr Port dredging project and emergency rehabilitation project of the National Dispatch Centre through UNDP; the school reconstruction project and community rebuilding project through UN-HABITAT; the Project for Reactivation of Primary Education in Iraq, which includes provision of school supplies and school restoration through UNICEF, and preservation and restoration of cultural heritage through UNESCO.
Source: ODA White Paper (2005)
The Support for Sudan:
Training to avoid land mines buried during civil war (Photo: UNMAS)
Japan will assist projects mainly based on the United Nations 2005 Work Plan for Sudan, such as mine clearance and return and reintegration of the refugees and the internally displaced. Moreover, it will assist the UN project for DDR, offer new technical cooperation for human resources development, and continue and enhance assistance in areas that are essential for human security, such as water and sanitation, health and medical care, and food supply. In March 2005, as part of its assistance for landmine removal, Japan decided upon and provided approximately US$7 million in emergency grant aid to support the mine removal efforts including the activities in the southern region by the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS).
Assistance to Sudan is a typical example of assistance that Japan provides for the "consolidation of peace," which is emphasized as an important pillar in its policies for Africa. Its success could become a model case for the future. Prime Minister Koizumi announced the overall enhancement of assistance to Africa, as well as support for peace building, at the Asia-Africa Summit held in April 2005. Assistance to Sudan is central to such efforts.
Source: ODA White paper 2005
The Support for Mindanao:
The IMT - composed of Malaysia, Brunei, and Libya - has been operating in Mindanao since October 2004, after the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) signed the ceasefire agreement in July 2003. Under these circumstances, the GRP and the MILF formally invited Japan to dispatch an expert who can play a leading role in "socio-economic monitoring," which is one of the IMT's two important pillars, the other being "ceasefire monitoring." The expert to be dispatched shall hold office in Cotabato City where IMT's headquarters is located and is expected to monitor the rehabilitation and economic development situation in the MILF conflict-affected areas, and likewise take an active role in the formulation and implementation of a comprehensive economic development plan for the area.
Further Details (Click here) (Japanese) (English)
(Open a New Window)Photo from Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Handbook (MOFA, 2005)
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