*33 Efforts Toward South-South Cooperation

Japan has taken advantage of various opportunities to promote South-South cooperation. For instance, Japan held a meeting for "emerging donors"(developing countries who have made progress in economic development and are simultaneously aid recipients and aid donors) to discuss future directions. This South-South Cooperation Meeting was held in May 1998 in Okinawa. At the 2nd International Conference on African Development ( TICAD II ) hosted by Japan in October 1998, a decision was made to promote Asian-African cooperation as a concrete form of South-South cooperation. In fiscal 1997, Japan contributed $4 million to the United Nations Development Program ( UNDP ) to support South-South cooperation through UNDP.