TICAD
Tokyo International Conference on African Development 7 (TICAD7)
was held on August 28.
The Tokyo International Conference on African Development 7 (TICAD7) opened in Yokohama on August 28 (Wednesday). H.E. Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, served as a Co-chair and H.E. Mr. Taro Aso, Vice Prime Minister, served as an acting chair. H.E. Mr. Taro Kono, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan attended the conference. In addition, 42 leaders and other government representatives from 53 African countries also attended participated, as well as representatives from international organizations, development partner countries, Asian countries, private companies, and civil society. On the 28th, Prime Minister Abe also had bilateral meetings with the leaders of seven countries, Egypt, South Africa, Kenya, Algeria, Mali, Guinea, and Togo, as well as representatives of the international organizations. In addition, Minister Kono met with representatives of the Republic of Congo, Libya, Senegal, and the international organizations.
1. Opening Session・Plenary Session 1
(1) Prime Minister Abe in his keynote speech, indicated the direction that the future TICAD will be the New TICAD which promotes the private sector activities and innovation. He also said that Japan would try its best to further increase private sector investment in Africa, which has reached USD 20 billion over the past three years. In addition, Prime Minister Abe presented Japan’s initiatives such as human resource development including the “ABE Initiative 3.0”, further promotion of UHC including through launch of the Africa Health and Wellbeing Initiative, and support to measures for Africa’s own peace and stability. Japan’s measures. Japan’s contributions for Africa (PDF)
(2) H.E. Mr. Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt (AU chair country), serving as another Co-chair, expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Abe and Japan, and his expectation that the TICAD7 procure world help to achieve the AU Agenda 2063 and Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDGs). In addition, referring to the need for harnessing renewable energy and tacking the impact of climate change, President El-Sisi stated that the African market is open and the business environment is favorable.
2 Plenary Session 2
(1) Vice Prime Minster Aso served as an acting chair of Plenary Session 2, in which the participants discussed under the theme ”accelerating economic transformation and improving business environment through innovation and private sector”. At the outset, Vice Prime Minister Aso welcomed that the Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was enacted in May, and the African market is expected to expand. Vice Prime Minister Aso also stated that there are still issues to be addressed in achieving sustainable development, and it is necessary to enhance human resource development, particularly in the fields of science, technology and innovation.
(2) People, technology and innovation, three elements featured in the theme of TICAD 7, were at the center of the discussion at Plenary Session 2. With the role of private businesses increasing, the African leaders and other participants spoke on such topics as backing the industrial diversification through harnessing technology, Blue Economy and innovation, promoting development of human resources, especially the youth, and of quality infrastructure, which are the basis and the drive for economic growth, improvement of investment climate and institutions including governance, increasing added-value of agricultural produce, enhancement of public-private dialogue between Japan and Africa towards more investment, and the importance of peace, stability and the rule of law that underpin economic growth.
(3) H.E. Mr. Goh Chok Tong, Emeritus Senior Minister, shared an overview of the development experience of Singapore, and stated that it is important to inherit a consistent policy to achieve economic and social development. He expressed his hope for Africa’s sustainable economic growth making use of Asian experience.