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(Provisional Translation)

Message by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan

July 10, 2003
French

Your Excellency, Mr. Joaquim Alberto Chissano, President of the Republic of Mozambique and Chair of the Second African Union Summit,

Your Excellency, Mr. Amara Essy, Interim Chairperson of the AU Commission,

Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government and Heads of Delegations of the AU member states,

I would like to extend my sincerest congratulations on the convening of this Second African Union (AU) Summit. I also wish to express my heartfelt appreciation to have been extended an invitation to representatives of the Government of Japan at this important meeting being held in the Republic of Mozambique. I attended the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in South Africa in September 2002, and on that occasion I visited Africa and saw for myself the way of life of the African people and their efforts towards reforms.

I see symbolic significance in the fact that the Second AU Summit, which is dedicated to making concrete progress after the organization completed its structural transformation last year, is being held in Mozambique, a country that is recovering from a civil war, striving for democratization and political stability, and accomplishing economic progress. The realization of peace and prosperity for the African people is urgent task that confronts the international community and I firmly believe that the African political leaders, who bear the prime responsibility for solving this task, will reaffirm their resolutions, and will engage in earnest and collective efforts within the AU framework. Japan will continue to support such earnest efforts by the African countries as a steadfast partner.

I would like to express my heartfelt respect for the considerable achievements made by the AU in the short period since its launch as the successor to the Organization for African Unity (OAU) in July 2002. These include activities towards peace and the deployment of special envoys in regard to the situation in countries such as Côte d'Ivoire and Central Africa, the ground-breaking African Mission in Burundi deployed by the AU in April 2003, and AU involvement in the political governance of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). Furthermore, I understand that, at this Summit, African leaders will make some important decisions pertinent to the structural reforms of the AU, including the establishment of the AU Peace and Security Council, as well as the formulation of common defense policy for Africa, from the perspective of further advancing the political and economic integration of Africa. I firmly believe that such structural reforms will be successfully carried out, and the AU will become the driving force for the realization of peace and prosperity in Africa in the 21st century.

I heartily welcome NEPAD as a roadmap for progress and development that was created for the future of Africa by Africa itself. In my view, at the G8 Summit held in Evian last month, G8 leaders and the leaders representing the African states followed up on their efforts at the Kananaskis Summit and were able to hold a worthwhile exchange of views on cooperation with NEPAD. Moreover, the "Implementation Report by Africa Personal Representatives to Leaders on the G8 Africa Action Plan" submitted at the Evian Summit to G8 leaders represents a culmination of results for the G8's steady cooperation under African ownership.

Japan will convene the Third Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD III) from September 29 to October 1, this year, the tenth anniversary of TICAD I. In the past decade, Japan and Africa strengthened their cooperative relations in various areas on the basis of friendship centering on the TICAD process. The convening of TICAD III bears witness to Japan's unchanged commitment to extend cooperation to Africa. The fundamental direction of Japan's cooperation to Africa is support to NEPAD through the TICAD process and expansion of partnerships in the international community with the objective of ensuring support to NEPAD.

Regarding assistance to NEPAD, I announced "Japan's Initiative for Cooperation with Africa" in May 2003 as a follow-up of the "Solidarity Between Japan and Africa-Concrete Actions" announced in June 2002. In these documents, I clearly stated Japan's commitment to promote "South-South cooperation" including Asia-Africa and intra-Africa cooperation, and to mobilize and integrate international support for NEPAD, while placing priority on the human security perspective. Moreover, with the recognition that "human-centered development," "poverty reduction through economic growth" and "consolidation of peace" constitute the three pillars of Japan's cooperation to Africa, I announced a list of specific actions that address each of the three pillars. These actions include the utilization of approximately US$80 million in assistance for polio eradication in Africa and elsewhere in the world, approximately US$1 billion in support for developing infrastructure, and approximately US$100 million in Grant Aid for Conflict Prevention and Peace-building. As we head towards TICAD III, Japan will steadily implement this initiative and support NEPAD through mobilization and integration of support of the international community and expansion of development partnerships. I believe that through TICAD III, Japan will further strengthen its cooperation with the African countries.

Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt desire to see the further strengthening of ties between Japan and Africa and my sincere hope for the success of this Summit and the continued health of you all.

Junichiro Koizumi
Prime Minister of Japan