Japan's Official Development Assistance White Paper 2005
Next PageMain Text > Part II ODA DISBURSEMENTS IN FISCAL YEAR 2004 > Chapter 2 Details and New Policies about Japan's ODA: Striving for Further ODA Reforms > Section 5. Formulation and Implementation of ODA Policy > 1. System for Formulation and Implementation of ODA Policy > (6) Collaboration with Aid-related Entities Within and Outside of Japan
(6) Collaboration with Aid-related Entities Within and Outside of Japan
Collaboration utilizing the characteristics of each aid-related entity is becoming increasingly important since assistance activities by civil societies like NGOs enable not only personalized and effective assistance tailored to the needs of local communities and residents in developing countries, but also swift and flexible responses in providing emergency humanitarian assistance. It is also important that private Japanese companies appropriately utilize their accumulated technology and know-how when ODA is implemented.
From its past experiences, Japan possesses outstanding technology in a variety of sectors, such as the environment sector, and has been developing new technologies. The utilization of these technologies taking into account local assistance needs not only contributes to local advantages but also encourages more direct participation of the Japanese people in assistance activities and deepens their understanding of assistance.
The Government has been taking measures to strengthen dialogue, collaboration, and support regarding NGOs. For example, the Government has held regular meetings with NGOs and in FY2002 commenced regular local-level consultation meetings with Japanese embassies, overseas offices of JICA and JBIC, and NGOs in the developing countries, where a relatively large number of Japanese NGOs are active. So far, these meetings, so-called ODA-Embassies, have been held in 12 countries, including Cambodia, Bangladesh, and Kenya.
Chart 37. NGO-MOFA Regular Meetings Held in FY2004
In addition, the Government's Grant Aid for Japanese NGO Projects, which provides financial support to Japanese NGO activities in developing countries, covers each NGO's head office expenses — previously ineligible for assistance — that are required for project implementation. At the same time, the scheme requires NGOs to discharge more accountability than before by establishing measures to ensure appropriate use of funds provided, such as obliging NGOs to accept external auditing of all projects eligible for assistance. Through this fund aid, approximately ¥2.54 billion in support was provided to various NGO development assistance projects in FY2004, including a total of ¥1.5 billion in contributions to the Japan Platform in December 2004 and March 2005. While the development assistance activities of NGOs are expanding, many NGOs have lagged behind in this expansion in terms of their organization and implementation systems. For this reason, the Government is also taking steps to provide support for enhancing the specialization and strengthening the organization of NGOs.