We have strengthened publicity campaigns in three directions, i.e., Japan, developing countries and industrialized countries. It is important that Japan's ODA, which is financed with the taxes of the Japanese people, is correctly understood and evaluated by other countries, and that it promote friendly relations between Japan and the recipient countries, and lead finally to help Japan win fair evaluation for its efforts. To accomplish this, it is necessary for Japan to make efforts to secure the Japanese presence in project sites.

The Japanese government instituted "International Cooperation Day," observed every October 6, to commemorate the date Japan joined the Colombo Plan in 1954. Since 1987, it has been holding various types of annual events across the country on that day. They include commemorative symposia, lecture meetings and displays of photographs. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been holding an "International Festival" in Tokyo since 1992 with the participation of the citizens as part of the nationwide campaigns. Many NGOs, too, participate in these Festivals. The 1994 Festival (held in Hibiya Park, Tokyo) drew about 150,000 visitors, providing the people with significant opportunities to deepen their knowledge of international cooperation and development.

Reports entitled Annual Report on Japan's ODA have been published since fiscal year 1993 to provide information concerning trends in ODA, aid policies by country, statistics on the results of the implemented projects and outlines of individual projects (focusing on procurement of goods and services). In addition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, since 1982, has published an Annual Evaluation Report on Japan's Economic Cooperation, covering a total of 1,801 ODA projects with details of their effects and the current status of the operation as well as the problems to be overcome. All these things are expected to contribute to enhance the transparency of Japan's ODA.

In recent years, the Japanese people's interest in international cooperation has been growing rapidly. In particular, the number of Japanese nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) actively engaged in aid projects in developing countries has increased dramatically, and the range of their activities has also diversified. Furthermore, international cooperation extended by local governments has come to be increasingly active and wide-ranging. The government, for its part, has been supporting NGO activities through Grant Assistance for Grass-roots Projects and by means of NGO subsidies. It has also been accelerating its cooperation with local governments. The strengthening of the popular-participation-type projects supported by the government is important for winning public acceptance and understanding. It leads also to provision of aid responsive to the needs of developing countries.

Dispatch of Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) is a successful example of the popular-participation-type project. Contingents of volunteers Å| men and women 20 to 30 years old Å| are sent to developing countries. Volunteers work together with citizens of recipient countries to promote economic and social development of their communities. The contributions the JOCV is making in the area of technology transfer and the enhancement of friendly relations with the recipient countries are highly appreciated. The JOCV programme was initiated in 1965 and the number of Volunteers dispatched to developing countries exceeded 1,000 for the first time in FY 1994. At present, approximately 2,400 Volunteers are working in 55 countries.