Japan's Official Development Assistance White Paper 2006
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Section 1. Assistance Relating to the Basic Policies of the ODA Charter
The philosophy and principles regarding Japan's ODA policies are clearly laid out in the Official Development Assistance Charter (hereinafter referred to as the "ODA Charter"), under which the Medium-Term Policy on Official Development Assistance (hereinafter referred to as the "Medium-Term ODA Policy") has been set to define the basic policy related to medium-term assistance for three to five years. The Medium-Term ODA Policy is supplemented by Japan's Country Assistance Programs, which constitute the policies upon which assistance is implemented for each country; and sector-specific initiatives, which constitute guidelines for implementing assistance for each sector. These policies and programs define the framework of Japan's assistance.
The ODA Charter, revised in August 2003, consists of "Philosophy (of ODA)," "Principle of ODA Implementation," "Formulation and Implementation of ODA Policy," and "Reporting on the Status of Implementation of the Official Development Assistance Charter."
In the "Philosophy" section of the ODA Charter the objectives of ODA are defined as being "to contribute to the peace and development of the international community, and thereby to help ensure Japan's own security and prosperity." It indicates five basic policies for the achievement of these objectives. They are: (1) supporting self-help efforts of developing countries based on good governance; (2) the perspective of "human security" for the implementation of support focused on individuals; (3) the "assurance of fairness" with consideration given to the socially vulnerable, particularly for improving the status of women; (4) the "utilization of Japan's experience and expertise" to make full use of its own experience in economic and social development when assisting the development of developing countries; and (5) "partnership and collaboration with the international community" with a view to pursuing collaboration with international organizations and other donor countries.
Japan provides support for the peace and development of developing countries based on these basic policies, focusing on the following priority issues: (1) "poverty reduction;" (2) "sustainable growth;" (3) "addressing global issues;" and (4) "peacebuilding."
The "Principle of ODA Implementation" section stipulates that ODA is to be provided with full attention paid to preventing any use of ODA for military purposes, as well as to promoting the democratization of the recipient countries.
The "Formulation and Implementation of ODA Policy" section states that for the implementation of ODA it is essential that the Government in its entirety draft and implement assistance policies in a unified and coherent manner to enhance the strategic value, flexibility, transparency, and efficiency of ODA. Since ODA is funded by taxpayers, this section specifies the Government's resolve to promote public understanding with respect to ODA.
The "Reporting on the Status of Implementation of the Official Development Assistance Charter" states that the Government will report the status of implementation of the ODA Charter in the White Paper on Official Development Assistance (ODA), which is reported annually to the Cabinet. This is to clarify accountability related to the implementation of ODA.
The following will report on disbursements in FY2005 according to each item in the ODA Charter.