(3) Cooperation with Japanese NGOs
Japanese NGOs implement development cooperation activities that directly benefit local residents in various fields in developing countries and regions. Even in sites affected by conflict or natural disasters, such as earthquakes and typhoons, they provide prompt and effective emergency humanitarian assistance. NGOs are attuned to different local situations in developing countries and are capable of carefully tailoring responses to the needs of the local people. Accordingly, NGOs can well provide assistance at the grassroots level, which can be hard-to-reach through the support of the government and international organizations. MOFA positions Japanese NGOs that carry out activities, which represent the “visibility of development cooperation,” as indispensable partners in development cooperation. It thus promotes collaboration with the NGOs through the three pillars of assistance, financial cooperation for NGOs’ projects, support to capacity development of NGOs, and dialogues with NGOs.
A. Financial Cooperation for NGOs’ Projects
The Government of Japan cooperates in various ways to enable Japanese NGOs to smoothly and effectively implement development cooperation and emergency humanitarian assistance projects in developing countries and regions.
■ Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO Projects
Libraries were built in 12 target schools in the Dweshula school district in South Africa. The libraries are equipped with computers and other equipment, and IT skills are taught to students of the library committee. (Photo: Together with Africa and Asia Association)
The Government of Japan provides financial support for the socio-economic development projects that Japanese NGOs implement in developing countries through the Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO Projects. There is a wide range of fields in which the projects are implemented, such as health and medical care, education and human resources development, vocational training, rural development, water resource development, and human resources development for landmine and unexploded ordnance (UXO) removal. In FY2020, 59 Japanese NGOs utilized this scheme to implement 109 projects in 34 countries and one region, amounting to approximately ¥5.8 billion (see also “Project Introduction Columns” on Viet Nam and Bangladesh).
■ Japan Platform (JPF)
Japan Platform (JPF)* supports and coordinates emergency humanitarian aid activities of NGOs in cooperation with Japanese NGOs, the business community, and the government. In FY2020, JPF implemented 93 projects under 19 programs, including assistance for the humanitarian crises that occurred in Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq, and Syria, emergency assistance for refugees from South Sudan, emergency assistance for Democratic Republic of the Congo refugees in Uganda, Emergency Response for Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza, the COVID-19 Emergency Response Program, and Emergency Response to the damage caused by Locust Crisis. As of October 2021, JPF has 43 member NGOs (see also “Support for Refugees and Displaced Persons” for assistance for refugees and displaced persons by JPF).
■ NGO Project Subsidies
In FY2020, MOFA provided NGO project subsidies to seven Japanese NGOs conducting such activities as project identification and formulation, post-project evaluations, and seminars and workshops including online, in Japan and overseas for development cooperation projects.
■ JICA Partnership Program (JPP)
JICA Partnership Program (JPP) is a joint program outsourced by JICA to Japanese NGOs/CSOs, local public entities, universities, private enterprises, and other organizations. Proposals are submitted to JICA for international cooperation activities based on their accumulated knowledge and experience and implemented by these partners in collaboration with JICA (see the JICA website Note 10 for information on program details among others). Through the JICA Partnership Program, approximately 200 projects are implemented in approximately 90 countries every year.
B. Support to Capacity Development of NGOs
In response to the growing importance of activities by non-governmental actors and the use of private funding in international cooperation, MOFA carries out the following programs with the objective of further strengthening the organizational structures and project implementation capabilities of Japanese NGOs and developing their human resources.
■ NGO Consultant Scheme
Under this scheme, MOFA commissions highly experienced Japanese NGOs (15 organizations in FY2020) to address inquiries and respond to requests for consultation from citizens and NGOs on such topics as international cooperation activities by NGOs, how to establish an NGO, organizational management and operation, and approaches for providing development education.
■ NGO Internship Program/NGO Study Program
MOFA implements the NGO Internship Program and NGO Study Program with the objective of strengthening the organization through human resources development. The NGO Internship Program aims to develop human resources of younger generation who can play an active role in Japanese NGOs for international cooperation in the future. A total of eight interns were accepted by NGOs through this program in FY2020.
Under the NGO Study Program, mid-career personnel from Japanese NGOs for international cooperation undergo domestic and overseas training and widely share the fruits of their training within their organization and with other NGOs, with the aim of contributing to enhancing the capabilities of Japanese NGOs as a whole. In FY2020, five people received training through this program.
■ NGO Study Group
The NGO Study Group aims to strengthen NGOs and their capacities by conducting joint studies and research, seminars, workshops, symposiums, and other activities regarding common issues faced by NGOs and reporting and recommending specific measures for improvement. In FY2020, the NGO Study Group was held on the following two themes: (i) “Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (PSEAH) in International Cooperation: Study of Global Trends, and the Development and Dissemination of Guidelines for Efforts by Japanese International Cooperation NGOs,” and (ii) “Towards a Resilient Society: Redesigning Japanese NGOs under the impact of COVID-19 pandemic.” The reports and outcomes of these activities are available on the ODA website of MOFA (in Japanese only).
C. Dialogue with NGO (NGO-Ministry of Foreign Affairs Regular Consultation Meetings and NGO-JICA Consultation Meeting)
The General Meeting of the NGO-Ministry of Foreign Affairs Regular Consultation Meeting* was not held in FY2020 due to the impact of COVID-19. However, subcommittee meetings, namely the “Partnership Promotion Committee” and an ad hoc meeting of the “ODA Policy Council,” were each held one time (see the MOFA website Note 11 for more information on the NGO-Ministry of Foreign Affairs Regular Consultation Meeting, meeting minutes, and other details).
JICA holds the NGO-JICA Consultation Meeting to promote dialogue and collaboration between NGOs and JICA. Two meetings were held online in FY2020, with participation of 36 organizations in the first meeting and 94 organizations in the second meeting (see the JICA website Note 12 for more information on the NGO-JICA Consultation Meeting, meeting minutes, and other details).
- Note 10: https://www.jica.go.jp/english/our_work/types_of_assistance/citizen/partner.html
- Note 11: https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/gaiko/oda/shimin/oda_ngo/taiwa/kyougikai.html (in Japanese only)
- Note 12: https://www.jica.go.jp/partner/ngo_meeting/index.html (in Japanese only)