(1) Significance of the forum in international context

(i) Efforts aimed at improving aid effectiveness are moving forward in Asian countries based on the Paris Declaration adopted in 2005. In this forum, participants shared their experiences in harmonizing the aid provided by donors and alignment of projects with the policies and systems of the recipient countries. They also exchanged information on what efforts toward implementing ODA in Asia have been successful and what results have been achieved. Recipient countries and donors also shared a recognition that the ownership of recipient countries is of crucial importance in improving aid effectiveness.

(ii) In order to achieve the MDGs and other development goals, donors and recipient countries reaffirmed the challenges that they must address together as they work to improve aid effectiveness, and the direction in which these efforts should head for was outlined in the Chair's Summary. These efforts includes: capacity development through improvements in the quality of technical cooperation to enable recipient countries to undertake leading roles in their national development; strengthening and utilizing the institutions of recipient countries (e.g., public financial management, procurement, and auditing) through coordination among donors for promoting independent development by recipient countries; and were focused resource allocation according to the comparative advantage of each donor.

(iii) In this forum, officials in charge of evaluation and officials in charge of policy met for discussions and agreed on the importance of evaluation in improving aid effectiveness and on the importance of policy efforts in linking evaluations with specific policy measures. They also agreed on the importance of continuous efforts aimed at strengthening evaluation capacities of developing countries.

(iv) Discussions were held concerning the growing importance of new donors such as China and India and concerning the need to implement aid in accordance with common rules by encouraging the participation of new donors in efforts to improve aid effectiveness so as to achieve common development goals. The importance of strengthening dialogue between new donors and DAC donors and ensuring transparency was affirmed in the Chair's Summary.

(2) Significance of the forum for Japan

(i) Improving aid effectiveness is currently a key issue in development assistance. Aimed at facilitating implementation of the Paris Declaration, this regional forum was held with co-sponsorship by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the Asian Development Bank, and the World Bank under Japan's leadership. In it, Japan was able to share with Asian countries and other donors its experiences in providing aid in Asia, the results it has achieved, and the measures it has taken to improve aid effectiveness. These efforts will form the basis of work for reflecting experiences and results of providing aid in Asia in improving a framework for further aid effectiveness.

(ii) In this forum, Japan obtained the support of the various Asian countries and donors for the priorities it has put forth, such as the importance of capacity development, the complementarity of the various assistance schemes, the need for consideration of the specific context of each country, and the requirement for stronger efforts for the Paris Declaration including the various parties concerned, aimed at achieving development objectives such as the MDGs. Those views were recorded in the Chair's Summary.

(iii) It was affirmed that capacity building, which is the foundation for improving aid effectiveness, has moved forward in Asia, where Japan has focused much of its assistance. There was also common understanding to engage in further efforts aimed at implementing the Paris Declaration. As a result, this forum represented an important opportunity for Japan to improve aid effectiveness and hence development results.