Official Development Assistance (ODA)

(3) Assistance for Security and Stability

Globalization, the advancement and proliferation of high-tech devices, and expanded mobility has turned transnational organized crime and acts of terrorism into a threat to the entire global community. In recent years, transnational organized crime, including illicit trafficking in drugs and firearms, trafficking in persons*, cybercrime, and money laundering*, has become increasingly diversified and sophisticated in its methods. Groups which are affiliated with and influenced by ISIL and other international terrorist organizations are becoming increasingly active not only in Africa and the Middle East but also in the Asia region, and individual acts of terrorism, influenced by violent extremism, as well as foreign terrorist fighters also pose a grave threat. In addition, piracy off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden in eastern Africa, the Gulf of Guinea in western Africa, as well as in the waters of Southeast Asia is still a concern.

There are limitations for any one nation in effectively dealing with transnational organized crime, acts of terrorism, and piracy. Therefore, not only must each nation strengthen its countermeasures in each respective area, but the entire international community must work together to eliminate legal loopholes in the international system through efforts in criminal justice and law enforcement capacity building assistance in developing countries.

 

<Japan’s Efforts>

| Enhancing the Capabilities of Security Authorities

In the area of capacity building of police agencies that constitute a cornerstone in maintenance of domestic security, Japan provides support with a combination of the transfer of the knowledge and technology based on the track records and experiences of the Japanese police in international cooperation, maintenance of facilities and provision of equipment, while emphasizing the human resources development, including development of institutions and enhancement of administrative capabilities.

Japan provided approximately $1.8 billion (approximately ¥180.5 billion) in assistance to Afghanistan over the period of 2001 to the end of August 2016 in order to improve public safety in Afghanistan where the public safety situation has remained unpredictable. Thanks to this assistance from Japan as well as the international community, the Afghan National Police more than doubled its workforce from 72,000 in 2008 to 157,000 in 2016.

The National Police Agency (NPA) of Japan dispatches experts to and accepts trainees mainly from Asian countries such as Indonesia, Japan conveys the modalities of the democratically controlled Japanese police, who are trusted by the Japanese people.

 

| Counter-Terrorism

In 2016, frequent terror attacks happened around the world, including those in Brussels, Belgium in March, one in Dhaka, Bangladesh in July, and one in Nice, France in July.

The international community must make every effort to prevent the means of terrorism from falling into the hands of terrorists and to deny them safe havens. To assist the efforts by the international community, Japan provides capacity building assistance in counter-terrorism to developing countries that are not equipped with sufficient capabilities.

At the G7 Ise-Shima Summit in May 2016, Japan, as the chair, led the establishment of the G7 Action Plan on Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism. There are already many initiatives to fight terrorism in the international community but they are not necessarily being fully utilized. This Action Plan is based on the idea of improving the overall capacity of the international community to fight against terrorism by filling in the “gaps” by the unachieved parts. It confirmed counterterrorism measures including border security and aviation security, countermeasures against violent extremism including assistance for women and young people, and capacity building support in regions whose capacity to fight terrorism is comparatively low including Asia. It also confirmed that in order to achieve these measures the G7 countries would utilize their respective strengths to carry out mutually complementary and synergistic assistance coordination. The steady implementation of this Action Plan is required at a time when the threat of terrorism and violent extremism is expanding not only in the Middle East and Africa but also in Asia. At the G7 Ise-Shima Summit, Japan announced that under the philosophy of “The Best Way is to Go in the Middle,” it would provide comprehensive assistance totaling approximately $6 billion, including human resources development for approximately 20,000 people over the next three years from 2016 to 2018, in order to prevent the expansion of violent extremism and build a “tolerant and stable society” in the Middle East.

Furthermore, in July 2016, when Japan chaired the open debate of the UN Security Council as the Security Council president, Minister for Foreign Affairs Fumio Kishida emphasized the strong commitment in Japan to the peace and security in Africa and announced that Japan would implement assistance of $120 million (approximately ¥14 billion), including human resources development for 30,000 people over three years, for counter-terrorism measures in Africa.

Moreover, at the opportunity of TICAD VI held in August 2016 in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, Prime Minister Abe declared that in order to work towards “Priority area 3: Promoting social stability for shared prosperity,” one of the three priority areas in the Nairobi Declaration, Japan would implement efforts that contribute to laying the foundations for peace and stability, through such measures as providing education, and vocational training for African youth. Specifically, for three years from 2016 to 2018, Japan committed to implementing measures such as (i) assistance amounting to approximately $500 million (approximately ¥52 billion) and human resources development for about 9.6 million people including vocational training for 50,000 people to achieve a peaceful and stable Africa, (ii) transfer of rice cultivation skills to 60,000 farmers and 2,500 instructors to enhance food security, and (iii) measures to counter climate change and natural disasters, worth approximately $1.8 billion (approximately ¥187 billion) which also include providing training to 4,000 people.

At the Japan-ASEAN Summit Meeting in September 2016, Japan announced that it would provide approximately ¥45 billion over the next three years for Asia as comprehensive counter-terrorism measures consisting of (i) assistance for improvement of counter-terrorism capacity, (ii) measures to counter the violent extremism which is the root cause of terrorism, and (iii) social and economic development assistance for support to create a foundation for a moderate society and that in addition it would help develop 2,000 personnel for counter-terrorism over the next three years.

At the end of August 2016, MOFA and JICA announced the new safety measures for personnel involved in international cooperation projects, which were formulated together with the related ministries and agencies. Support for capacity building to the security agencies of developing countries will also be carried out.

Japan will implement assistance to each country even more proactively and accelerate efforts towards the peace and stability of the international community as a Proactive Contributor to Peace.

 

| Measures against Transnational Organized Crime

As globalization advances, the threat of transnational organized crime that is conducted on a large-scale and systematically across different countries is becoming more serious. Transnational organized crime undermines the security of civilian society, rule of law and market economy, which form the foundation of social prosperity and well-being. Thus, transactional organized crime is an issue that needs to be addressed uniformly by the international community. Japan is mainly engaged in the following international contributions to combat transnational organized crime.

 

| Measures against Transnational Organized Crime

Alongside its active participation in international conferences such as the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Japan has also provided financial contribution to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), to support counter-narcotics efforts. In FY2016, Japan provided funding in the amount of approximately $150,000 for measures to combat synthetic drugs in Southeast Asian countries and approximately $100,000 for monitoring the illicit cultivation of opium poppy in Myanmar. In addition to this, Japan is making efforts to prevent the illicit drug trafficking through support for Afghanistan and the neighboring regions in which the narcotics problem is particularly serious, and border control support as a variety of measures to combat transnational crime in North Africa and Central Asia.

In April 2016 the Special Session of the UN General Assembly on the World Drug Problem (UNGASS) was held for the first time in 18 years. The outcome document stated the importance of the measures Japan has been advocating to combat new psychoactive substances (NPS) and amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) including methamphetamine that are spreading throughout the world.

Additionally, the NPA of Japan invites senior drug investigators from mainly the Asia-Pacific region to attend discussions about the narcotics situation in their countries, narcotics crime investigations and international cooperation in the field. It is aimed at establishing and strengthening international networks on drug enforcement of relevant countries.

 

| Measures against Trafficking in Persons

With regard to measures against trafficking in persons,* which is a serious violation of human rights and an extremely malicious crime, Japan provides various forms of assistance to eradicate it, under the 2014 Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Persons, revised in December 2014 for the first time in five years.

Through contributions to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Japan assists the safe repatriation of victims of trafficking in persons protected in Japan and provides education, vocational training, and other forms of assistance to these individuals in their home country after repatriation to prevent them from falling victim to trafficking in persons again. Furthermore, in FY2015 Japan provided approximately $100,000 to the Law Enforcement Agencies Capacity Strengthening Project of UNODC for Southeast Asian countries whose measures to combat trafficking in persons are not necessarily adequate, and utilized the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) 2.0 to hold a workshop on communication strategies for measures to combat trafficking in persons in June 2016. In addition, Japan actively participates in the Bali Process, which is an Asia-Pacific regional framework on people smuggling, trafficking in persons and transnational crime, and shares information with other countries to eliminate trafficking in persons.

 

| Measures against Money Laundering

There is a high risk that proceeds of transnational organized crime will be used to fund further organized crime or terrorist activities, and thus eliminating flows of these illegal funds is an important task for the international community. Therefore, Japan, too, actively participates in discussions on international measures against money laundering* and terrorist financing through intergovernmental frameworks such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) established based on the Economic Declaration of the Arch Summit in 1989. In FY2015, Japan contributed approximately $430,000 to a UNODC project to support counter-terrorist financing measures in Iran.

 

| Capacity Building for Maritime, Outer Space, and Cyberspace Issues

| The Seas

As a maritime nation, Japan depends largely on maritime transport for the import of energy resources and food. Ensuring maritime safety is an issue that has a direct link to Japan’s existence and prosperity as a nation and of crucial importance for the economic development of the region. However, the threats of piracy exist in the sea lanes between Japan and the Middle East, from which Japan imports approximately 80% of the crude oil, and in internationally important sea lanes such as off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden.

For that reason, to encourage regional cooperation in the fight against piracy and armed robbery at sea in Asia, Japan was at the forefront of efforts to formulate the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP). Each of the Contracting Parties conducts information sharing regarding piracy and armed robbery at sea and cooperate via the Information Sharing Centre (ReCAAPISC) established in Singapore under the Agreement. Japan supports the activities of ReCAAP-ISC by sending its Executive Director and an assistant director, in addition to the provision of financial support.

Moreover, in order to establish and promote the “rule of law” at sea, Japan is utilizing tools such as ODA to seamlessly support improvement of the law enforcement capacity of maritime security agencies, etc. in ASEAN countries through the provision of patrol vessels, technical cooperation, human resources development, etc. Specifically, Japan completed the provision of six used vessels to Viet Nam by November 2015 and is advancing preparations for the additional provision of used vessels and the provision of newly-built patrol vessels. With respect to the Philippines, in FY2013 Japan decided to provide ten newly-built patrol vessels through financial cooperation using ODA loans and the first ship arrived in the Philippines in August 2016 and the second in December 2016. Furthermore, in the Japan-Philippines Summit Meeting in October 2016 financial cooperation using ODA loans was signed for the provision of two large patrol vessels. Japan is providing not only the vessels but also the relevant equipment related to maritime security to these two countries. In addition, it is proceeding with human resources development through training, the dispatch of experts, etc. for coastal countries near the sea lanes such as Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Furthermore, the natural disasters, accidents at sea, accidental oil leaks from vessels, etc. that occur on the sea lanes can have an impact on the safety of the vessels navigating them, and in this regard, capacity building to be able to respond to these situations is important. For that reason, in June 2016 Japan decided to provide two patrol vessels through grant aid to Sri Lanka, a country located on the sea lanes connecting the Middle East and Japan.

In recent years, many incidents of piracy (Note 31) occurred off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden in Eastern Africa, but the number of pirate attacks occurring is currently at an extremely low level, for example the number of pirate attacks fell sharply from 237 in 2011 to 0 in 2015, as a result of the efforts by the international community. However, in light of the situation that the root causes of the piracy issue, such as the poverty inside Somalia, remain unsolved, the threats of piracy continue to exist. Thus, the situation could easily revert if the international community were to halt its efforts.

Given this situation, since 2009 Japan has been conducting anti-piracy operations by deploying a Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) destroyer with coast guard officers on board and a P-3C maritime patrol aircraft off the coast of Somalia and the Gulf of Aden.

Resolving the Somali piracy issue requires enhancement of the maritime law enforcement capabilities of coastal countries and multilayered efforts aiming for the stabilization of the situation in Somalia, which is of particular relevance to the expansion of piracy activities, in addition to the abovementioned activities on the sea. As part of these efforts, Japan contributed a total of $14.6 million to the IMO Djibouti Code of Conduct Trust Fund, which was founded by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) (Note 32) to implement the Djibouti Code of Conduct (a regional framework for improving capabilities for maritime law enforcement in Somalia and its neighboring countries), which is promoted by IMO. This Trust Fund has been used to upgrade and operate information-sharing centres for anti-piracy measures in Yemen, Kenya and Tanzania, and to establish a Djibouti Regional Training Centre, and in addition it is conducting training programs to improve maritime security capabilities in countries surrounding Somalia. Moreover, the Project for Capacity Development of the Djibouti Coast Guard, which develops its own human resources and strengthens its own organization, is being implemented through JICA technical cooperation, and experts including Japan Coast Guard law enforcement officers are being dispatched. Furthermore, Japan is providing both physical and non-physical support for strengthening the capacity of the Djibouti Coast Guard, including the provision of two patrol vessels in December 2015.

In addition, Japan has contributed a total of $4.5 million to the Trust Fund to Support Initiatives of States Countering Piracy off the Coast of Somalia. (Note 33) Its purpose is to assist Somalia and its neighboring countries to improve their capabilities, in order to arrest and prosecute alleged pirates. Through the contribution, Japan has been supporting the international community striving to arrest and prosecute pirates, and prevent the reoccurrence of piracy. In addition, in cooperation with the Japan Coast Guard, Japan has carried out training programs for the control of maritime crime, inviting maritime security officers from the countries around Somalia. Furthermore, with the perception that the reconstruction and stability of Somalia are essential for a fundamental solution of Somalia’s piracy issue, since 2007 Japan has disbursed approximately $408.5 million for improvement of basic services, restoration of security and economic revitalization in Somalia.

The destroyer “Suzutsuki” escorts a private vessel. (Photo: Ministry of Defense)

The destroyer “Suzutsuki” escorts a private vessel. (Photo: Ministry of Defense)

 

| Outer Space

Japan is implementing ODA utilizing space technologies as part of its efforts to address global issues, including climate change, disaster risk reduction, forest conservation, and resources/energy. From 2015 to 2016 Japan began to further utilize satellite data in the field of agriculture and forestries. Specifically, JICA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) collaborated to work on the development of evaluation technologies using satellites, to ascertain the area of irrigated land in Myanmar. Furthermore, JICA and JAXA jointly announced the “Initiative for Improvement of Forest Governance” and are advancing the monitoring the status of logging and changes in tropical forests.

In December 2016 in order to strategically and effectively offer all-Japan support for capacity building in developing countries in the field of space, its basic policies formulated by the related ministries and agencies were reported to the Strategic Headquarters for Space Policy. Going forward, Japan will actively offer support in line with these policies.

 

| Cyberspace

Free, fair and secure cyberspace is a global shared space that enables communication on a global scale and is the foundation of the peace and security of the international community, but in recent years activities that harm the benefits brought by cyberspace have been increasing. It is necessary for diverse actors in each country to work together to respond to threats to cyberspace that transcend national borders. The situation in which some countries or regions lack the capacity to respond to the threat is a risk to the entire world including Japan. Furthermore, the numbers of Japanese people traveling overseas and Japanese companies expanding their business to foreign markets continue to increase. As a consequence of the progress of computerization, thier activities depend on the social infrastructure and cyberspace managed and operated by the host countries. Therefore, strengthening cooperation for ensuring the security of cyberspace in countries around the world and providing support for building capacities to developing countries not only contribute to the recipient countries but also have benefits for Japan and the entire world.

In October 2016 Japan formulated the Basic Strategy of Cybersecurity Capacity Building in coordination among the relevant ministries and agencies. Based on this Strategy, Japan utilizes ODA, Other Official Flows (OOF), etc. to provide support drawing on the strengths of Japan, mainly to ASEAN countries for the time being, in the fields of (i) assistance for improving incident response capability, (ii) assistance for countermeasures against cybercrime, and (iii) developing international rules for using cyber space and sharing the common understanding and recognition on confidence building measures.

Moreover, in February 2016 the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) invited 30 people from the public and private sectors in the IT and electronic device industry, and electricity and energy fields of eight ASEAN countries (Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Viet Nam), and provided training about basic knowledge of control security system and knowledge and experience for autonomous dissemination in order to improve the information security of critical infrastructure in ASEAN, through the Overseas Human Resources and Industry Development Association (HIDA). Also, in August in Viet Nam METI held training for seven ASEAN countries (Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar and the Philippines) and a seminar for Viet Nam about information security.

In addition, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) promotes collaboration with ASEAN countries in the field of cybersecurity. These efforts include the PRACTICE Project which shares information based on the collection and analysis of information on cyber attacks, exchanges data on cyber attacks, and establishes technologies to immediately detect and respond to indications of a cyber attack as well as the Daedalus system developed by the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) to detect malware infections in real time.

In January 2016, with the cooperation of NPA, JICA carried out an issue-specific training course for participants from 14 countries (Note 34) in Asia, Europe, Latin America and Africa which offered a practical training such as arranging action plans for capacity building to tackle cybercrime in each country.

Additionally, a JICA technical cooperation project in Indonesia is being implemented from 2014 to 2017, which aims to improve its information security capabilities through the dispatch of experts, implementation of training sessions and introduction of new software.

Moreover, in July 2015, Japan dispatched a cybersecurity survey team to Viet Nam comprising officials from MOFA, National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity (NISC), and JICA. Furthermore, following on that survey team, the JICA basic information collecting and confirmation survey was implemented (ended in May 2016), and these survey teams interviewed officials from the government agencies of Viet Nam about efforts and challenges such as their policies in the cyber security field, measures to combat cyber attacks, human resources development, educational activities, etc. and visited relevant facilities. Japan will proceed with the reviews of capacity building in the field of cybersecurity to Viet Nam.

 

Glossary
* Trafficking in persons
Trafficking in persons refers to the act of the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons for the purpose of exploitation, such as forced labor or prostitution.
* Money laundering
Money laundering refers to the act of disguising criminal proceeds as legally obtained assets, or the act of hiding such funds. For example: An act where a drug dealer hides money obtained through drug trafficking in a bank account opened under a false name.


  1. Note 31: Typically, pirates off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden attack a ship navigating in the water with automatic rifles and rocket launchers, take control of the ship, and demand ransom for the safe release of the crew.
  2. Note 32: An organization to promote international cooperation on maritime affairs. IMO is one of the 15 specialized agencies of the United Nations including the IMF and World Bank Group.
  3. Note 33: From December 2012 the United Nations Development Programme Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office (UNDP-MPTF Office) took over the administration of the funds from UNODC.
  4. Note 34: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Viet Nam, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Peru, Jordan, Botswana, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Serbia, and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia