Japan's Official Development Assistance White Paper 2013
Section 3 Challenges to and Japan’s Efforts for Further Growth
World leaders who attended TICAD V
From June 1 to 3, 2013, Japan hosted the Fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD V) in Yokohama with co-organizers, the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank, and the African Union Commission (AUC). Attended by more than 4,500 participants in total, including the representatives of 51 African countries, including 39 Heads of State and Government, such as Presidents and Prime Ministers, together with the representatives of 31 development partner countries and Asian countries, 72 international and regional organizations, private companies, and the civil society, including NGOs, TICAD V was the largest international conference Japan has ever hosted.
During TICAD V, under the over-arching theme of “Hand in Hand with a More Dynamic Africa,” discussion took place on “Robust and Sustainable Economy,” “Inclusive and Resilient Society,” and “Peace and Stability,” the three core themes of the conference. The discussion points were compiled into two outcome documents, “Yokohama Declaration 2013,” which presents a vision of African development, and “Yokohama Action Plan 2013-2017,” which describes specific measures to be implemented during the TICAD process during the next five years based on the Declaration.
At the closing ceremony of TICAD V, Minister for Foreign Affairs Fumio Kishida conversing with the representative of the co-organizer African Union Commission and others
The significance of TICAD V lies in its identification of Africa not as an aid recipient but as a “business partner,” and in the fact that participants shared the view that they support African growth by promoting trade and investment through public-private partnership. During their dialogues with African leaders, the representatives of the Japanese business community directly requested Africa to establish a free and safe investment environment, which was another important element of the conference.
The Japanese government announced an assistance package at TICAD V comprising up to approximately ¥3.2 trillion ($32 billion) in public and private means, including approximately ¥1.4 trillion ($14 billion) in ODA. This assistance package was spelled out in line with the aforementioned three core development themes and was unveiled as an implementation matrix of the “Yokohama Action Plan 2013-2017.” The key ODA initiatives of the assistance package include the following.
■ Robust and Sustainable Economy
To overcome vulnerable economic structures dependent on primary products, which is a challenge that applies to all of Africa, and achieve private sector-led economic growth, Japan will extend financial assistance of approximately ¥650 billion over five years for infrastructure, including transport and electricity. Through the establishment of strategic master plans and other activities, Japan will promote the development of transport, electric, and urban infrastructures, among other infrastructures. In parallel with this assistance, Japan will support the soft aspects of distribution improvements, including the training of customs officers. As human resource development measures, Japan will establish TICAD human resource development centers for business and industry, which will impart knowhow to approximately 30,000 people, including “Kaizen” (used mainly by workers on production floors in the Japanese manufacturing industry, this method involves the continuous review and improvement of work practices with the goal of increasing quality), and supply these human resources to local labor markets. Furthermore, Japan announced the “African Business Education Initiative for the Youth” (ABE Initiative). Under this initiative, 1,000 competent African youth will study at Japanese graduate schools and at other institutions and intern at Japanese companies. This initiative will train human resources who in the future can be employed by and play an active role at Japanese companies which will advance into Africa.
Japanese engineers who are building a construction camp as part of the Project for Rehabilitation of Trunk Road, Phase 4 in Ethiopia (Photo: Kenshiro Imamura / JICA)
■ Inclusive and Resilient Society
Japan will take steps to ensure that all people enjoy the benefits of growth, that the living conditions of each and every person improve, that poverty is mitigated, and that low-carbon growth is realized. Japan will support small-scale farming, which accounts for approximately 80% of the African working population and whose workforce consists mainly of women, and promote a shift from subsistence farming to agriculture aimed at selling on the market. In the area of education, Japan will provide quality education environments to an additional 20 million children. In the health sector, Japan will extend support of approximately ¥50 billion and assist with the training of 120,000 health and medical workers. In the area of water and sanitation, Japan will provide access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities to an additional 10 million people.
■ Peace and Stability
Based on the view that peace and stability constitute the foundation of growth, Japan will support Africa’s efforts from the standpoints of human resource development and organizational strengthening. Japan will also support the consolidation of peace, focusing on the Sahara belt stretching from the Sahel region to Somalia and on the Great Lakes region. In addition, resolving the issues of terrorism and piracy that threaten the stability of Africa poses a new challenge. For the stabilization of the Sahel region, Japan will provide ¥100 billion of support, including development and humanitarian assistance, and conduct human resource development for 2,000 people to enhance their counter-terrorism capabilities.