Launching of TICAD II Process

April 1997
The Government of Japan
United Nations (OSCAL,UNDP
Global Coalition for Africa)

1. Introduction: TICAD I Process

   (1) In October 1993, the Government of Japan (GOJ), the United Nations (UN) and the Global Coalition for Africa (GCA) convened the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD I). The overall objectives of the Conference was to reaffirm the commitment of the international community to take African development as one of the central themes of the international agenda in the post-cold-war period. There were approximately 1,000 participants from 48 African countries, 13 Major donor countries, and 10 international organizations and more than 45 countries/organizations/NGOs as observers.

   (2) At the conclusion of the Conference, the Tokyo Declaration, a concise and forceful manifestation of the political determination of all the participating countries and international organization on priority issues for African development, was adopted. TICAD I was very successful in encouraging African countries to take ownership of their development and in strengthening the partnership of the international community as it strives to address this issue.

   (3) To follow up TICAD I, GOJ, UN, and GCA organized the Asia-Africa Forum in Bandung in 1994, the Eastern-Southern Africa Regional Workshop in Yamoussoukro in 1996, in an effort to broaden and deepen the stratum of understanding and support for development assistance to Africa. As a result, Asia-Africa cooperation in particular has made significant progress.

2. Need for TICAD II Process

   (1) However, it is still not easy to resolve the problems facing African countries. Poverty in Africa has become even more serious, and the African economies have lagged further behind non-African developing countries. If the African problems remain unsolved, they may threaten the stability in the region, and disturb the global system of population and ecology. These problems are only likely to become more difficult to resolve as we move into the twenty-first century.

   (2) Against an unfavorable economic situation, many African countries have pursued and strengthened political and economic reforms for the past few years. This is a clear indication that African countries are becoming aware of their ownership of their development. For example, South Africa abolished the Apartheid regimes and democratized itself. Regional cooperation and integration has become a major factor in African development, particularly through more effective sub regional groups. African countries are now determined to strengthen their efforts to achieve their common goal: the development of the Continent.

   (3) These are the "new trends" on the African Continent. We believe that, to ensure those trends prevail, international development partners should render appropriate support to African initiatives taken and carried out by African countries themselves based on their visions. The momentum for African development, which was triggered by TICAD I, should be maintained and strengthened by African countries themselves as well as by the international development partners.

3. Launching the TICAD II Process

   (1) The Tokyo Declaration, which was adopted as TICAD I in 1993, states that a conference of similar magnitude and membership should be held before the turn of the century, at the latest.

   (2) At the UNCTAD IX in South Africa in April 1996, GOJ proposed that it would organize TICAD II, in 1998, and its Preparatory Conference in 1997 in Tokyo.

   (3) In February this year, after a series of discussions between GOJ, the UN (OSCAL and UNDP), and GCA., an agreement was reached on a basic framework, and the TICAD II process was officially launched.

4. TICAD II Framework

   (1) TICAD II will be arranged as follows:

   (a) Venue: Tokyo

   (b) Date: Mid-October 1998

   (c) Co-organizers: GOJ, UN (OSCAL, UNDP), and GCA
   Specific International development organizations, such as OAU, AFDC, ECA, IMF, IBRD and EC, serve as supporting organizations. Asian countries with an interest in South-South cooperation are officially invited to attend.

   (2) TICAD II Objectives and Principles

   (a) TICAD II will continue to be a non-pledging conference, as was TICAD I.

   (b) TICAD II, however, should build on the results of TICAD I, and aim to produce action-oriented results.

   (i) The review will be made on the progress since TICAD I, and its outcome should be reflected in the final documents of TICAD II.

   (ii) An agenda for action will be worked out for African development towards the 21st century, taking into the account the New Development Strategy, in the spirit of global partnership.

   • Themes for development will be selected on the basis of the review of progress made since TICAD I, and specific ways to deal with and the approached to be taken will be identified in the agenda for action.
   • With the self-help efforts of African countries as a prerequisite, individual African, Asian, and donor countries and international organizations will define their respective roles and make a political commitments to materialize the agenda for action.

   (3) Preparatory Meeting
   From 10 to 11 November 1997, a Preparatory Meeting will be held in Tokyo. Its purpose is to secure final endorsement among African, Asian, donor countries and international organizations on the framework and organizations of TICAD II. The agenda for the meeting is as follows:

   (a) a review to be made on the progress of the Tokyo Declaration at TICAD I

   (b) main themes to be selected for the agenda for action

5. Conclusion

   The TICAD II process has already started. We, the co-organizers of TICAD II, Appeal to African and all other countries and international organizations concerned for active participation in the TICAD II process. Our goal is to strengthen the "new trend" on the African Continent toward the twenty-first century.