I. Philosophy: Objectives, Policies, and Priorities
3. Priority Issues
(1) Poverty Reduction
Poverty reduction is a key development goal shared by the international community, and is also essential for eliminating terrorism and other causes of instability in the world. Therefore, Japan will give high priorities to providing assistance to such sectors as education, health care and welfare, water and sanitation and agriculture, and will support human and social development in the developing countries. At the same time, sustainable economic growth, increase in employment, and improvement in the quality of life are indispensable for realizing poverty reduction and Japan places importance on providing assistance for these issues accordingly.

(2) Addressing Global Issues
As for global issues such as global warming and other environmental problems, infectious diseases, population, food, energy, natural disasters, terrorism, drugs, and international organized crime, further efforts must be given immediately and in a coordinated manner by the international community. Japan will address these issues through ODA and will play an active role in the creation of international norms.

3. Priority Issues
(1) Poverty Reduction
i. Japan's Position on Poverty Reduction
(a) In developing regions, around 1.1 billion people live in poverty on less than US$1 a day. To deal with this situation, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were adopted following the United Nations Millennium Summit in September 2000, establishing targets to be achieved by 2015 relating to poverty reduction, gender equality, health and education, HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, and environmental sustainability. MDGs are goals that the international community should work in concert to achieve in order to build a better world. Japan will contribute actively to achieving the MDGs, including through effective use of ODA.

©Akiko Mori

(b) Poverty is not only an economic dimension, such as low income and expenditure, it also has social and political dimensions exemplified by lack of access to basic social services such as education and public health services, gender inequality, and lack of opportunities to participate in the decision-making process. The MDGs consist, to a large extent, of targets relating to the social sector, such as education and public health. At the same time, as the experience of development in East Asia demonstrates, sustained economic growth is a necessary condition for reducing poverty. Therefore, poverty reduction should be pursued comprehensively through actions that address both the economic and social dimensions.

©Akiko Mori

ii. Approach to Poverty Reduction and Specific Actions
(a) Cross-sectoral Assistance that is tailored to the stages of development
The underlying causes of poverty are diverse, and the poor face a range of problems. Therefore, in order to effectively reduce poverty, there is a need for cross-sectoral assistance. Prior to the formulation of projects, efforts will accordingly be made to determine the poverty situation of each country and region and to analyze the needs of the poor. In order to collect a wide range of information on the poor, networking with governments, NGOs, universities, research institutions and private enterprises will be strengthened. Based on the results of analyses, assistance will then be provided according to the situation in each country and region and the stage of development of the recipient country, by effectively combining various schemes such as bilateral Japanese ODA Loan, grant aid, technical cooperation and assistance through international agencies.

For example, HIV/AIDS will be tackled not simply as a medical problem; instead, across-sectoral approach utilizing a variety of schemes will be adopted. More specifically, priority will be placed on strengthening prevention and voluntary counseling and testing (VCT), while at the same time paying attention to reinforcing the regional health care system as a whole. Employment support will also be provided to people living with HIV/AIDS, along with medical treatment and care, and social support for sufferers, their families and HIV/AIDS orphans Consideration will also be given to incorporating, as necessary, HIV/AIDS measures into development assistance programs in view of the risk of HIV/AIDS epidemics caused by the movement and concentration of populations which accompany economic development, trafficking in children and women, and the growing risk of transmission of HIV/AIDS through drug use.

Checkup for infants by Japan's Support (Ghana)

(i) Enhancing Basic Social Services
In order to improve the quality of life of the poor, Japan will actively assist in the enhancement of basic social services, such as education, health services, safe water supply, shelter, and electrification, while encouraging improvements in governance in the recipient country. For example, Japan will seek to improve hygiene conditions and raise awareness by providing wells and latrines in its school construction projects in poor areas, and to improve children's nutrition through school meals. With a view of strengthening the delivery of basic social services, assistance will be provided to build the capacity of central and local governments, and to improve health and medical systems. At the same time, the establishment of transport, communications and electric power infrastructure will be assisted with the objective of improving access to hospitals and schools. Support will also be provided for training and development of educational materials in order to improve the quality of services. In addition, assistance that will contribute to women and children's health and reproductive health will be provided, addressing infectious diseases and women's capacity building.