ODA Delivery Lecture given by a MOFA official

Ms. YAMAGUCHI Kaho, Emergency and Stabilization Programme Officer of IOM, a Japanese staff member working for IOM Kenya Country Office since 2020 under the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Programme, packing leaf mold in the assistance project to enhance agricultural resilience against drought for local residents in Turkana County, Kenya (Photo: IOM)

The Government of Japan has set a target of 1,000 Japanese working for UN-related agencies by 2025. To this end, in collaboration with universities and Japan offices of international organizations, MOFA actively recruits, trains and supports Japanese nationals who can play active roles on the global stage. Note 19 Based on the recommendations made by the Advisory Board for ODA to “foster global human resources, including those responsible for development cooperation,” the government holds seminars in and outside of Japan to explain the recruitment system of international organizations for students at secondary and higher educational institutions and persons already employed. Recently, seminars are mainly conducted online, which enables incumbent Japanese UN staff to remotely participate and share their experiences with specific examples. The government also produces YouTube videos and holds seminars featuring senior officials or human resource experts from international organizations, among other efforts.

Moreover, the Government of Japan offers the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Programme, striving to nurture human resources to be active in international organizations, including in the area of international development cooperation (see “Japanese Personnel at International Organizations Playing Active Roles on the Front Lines across the World” for the activities of a Japanese staff member at international organizations, and “Stories from the Field 7” for a career introduction of a staff member of an international organization after working as a JPO). MOFA has dispatched a cumulative total of over 1,900 JPOs, 56 of whom were sent in FY2021. In addition, MOFA implements the “Program for Global Human Resource Development for Peacebuilding and Development” Note 20 (see “Human Resources Development for Peacebuilding and Development” for details).

Through the Participatory Network for Expert Recruitment (PARTNER) Note 21 website, JICA centrally distributes information on international cooperation (such as recruitment and various training and seminar opportunities) led by a wide range of actors such as ministries, agencies, JICA, NGOs, international organizations, companies, and universities. It also provides activities such as human resources registration services and career counseling. Furthermore, JICA offers internships to graduate students and other individuals who conduct research closely related to development cooperation and are willing to play an active role in this field in the future. JICA secures human resources with competencies and abundant work experience in developing countries through the Senior Advisor System, as well as offers the Associate Experts Program and the Capacity Enhancement Training for human resources development.

The JICA Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development Note 22 analyzes and synthesizes knowledge gained in the field of development cooperation and provides feedback to JICA projects, thereby contributing to the realization of human security and the achievement of the SDGs, as well as to the development of human resources.