Japan's Official Development Assistance White Paper 2005
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Chapter 2 Details and New Policies about Japan's ODA:Striving for Further ODA Reforms
A staff member of the JDRT medical team diagnosing a child affected by the major earthquake off the coast of Sumatra and the tsunami in the Indian Ocean (Indonesia) (Photo: JICA)
ODA Town Meeting: Report from Monitoring Group of Citizens
Assistance for safe water supplies is one of the most important tasks in Japan's assistance to Africa (Ethiopia) (Photo: JICA)
Key Points
- The New Medium-Term ODA Policy was formulated in February 2005. It sets forth basic policies on ODA in line with the ODA Charter and is aimed at implementing ODA efficiently and effectively.
- In order to clarify and promote sector-specific assistance policies, the following initiatives were formulated: the Initiative for Disaster Reduction through ODA, the Initiative on Gender and Development ( GAD ), and the "Health and Development" Initiative.
- In response to the major earthquake off the coast of Sumatra and the tsunami in the Indian Ocean, Japan promptly implemented active assistance.
- Japan is promoting various efforts and reforms which are in line with the ODA Charter and the New Medium-Term ODA Policy.
As interests in development issues heighten globally and in light of Japan's difficult economic and fiscal situation, as well as the Japanese people's critical views of ODA, the government of Japan is expected to clarify its strategies concerning ODA in order to utilize its limited ODA funds more effectively.
In August 2003, the Japanese government revised the Official Development Assistance Charter (hereinafter referred to as the "ODA Charter") , which is the basic document clarifying the philosophies, basic policies, and principles of Japan's ODA. According to the ODA Charter, the goal of ODA is "to contribute to the peace and development of the international community, and thereby to help ensure Japan's own security and prosperity." Further, it aims to enhance strategic value, flexibility, transparency, and efficiency, to encourage wide public participation and deepen the understanding of Japan's ODA policies both within Japan and abroad. The Medium-Term Policy on Official Development Assistance formulated in February 2005 (hereinafter referred to as the "New Medium-Term ODA Policy") sets forth in line with the goals of the ODA Charter that Japan is determined to play a role appropriate to its position in the international community through a strategic and effective use of its ODA.
Providing assistance for the growth of developing countries does not only work for those countries, but it also greatly benefits Japan, which takes advantage of international trade and is highly dependent upon foreign countries for resources, energy, food, and other items. Japan will proactively contribute to the stability and development of developing countries through a strategic use of its ODA.
As written in Part I, Japan announced new policies such as increasing ODA volume by US$10 billion over the next five years, a series of assistance packages for Africa including doubling the amount of ODA over the next three years, and launching "Strategic Development Alliance" with the United States in the G8 Gleneagles Summit (July, 2005) and other major international conferences.
The following sections explain the status of the implementation of ODA in FY2004. 5 Section 1 highlights the notable activities for Japan's ODA in FY2004, namely the formulation of the New Medium-Term ODA Policy, establishment of sector-specific initiatives, and assistance in response to the major earthquake off the coast of Sumatra and tsunami in the Indian Ocean. Section 2 and onward report on ODA disbursements in FY2004 in accordance with the structure of the ODA Charter.