Africa

The Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) was held in Yokohama from May 28 to 30, 2008. A large number of representatives from 51 African nations including 41 heads of state as well as from the United Nations, the World Bank and other international organizations attended to discuss the future of African development.

In recent years, the African economy has been healthy due to rising overseas investment following the conclusion of regional disputes as well as due to soaring prices for mineral resources, with some countries posting economic growth exceeding 5%. At the same time, however, the lives of people living in Africa continue to be threatened by a range of factors including substantially rising oil and food prices around the globe, disputes and famine around the African continent, infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, and the problems of cumulative debt and low school attendance rates.

Given these conditions, a policy was worked out at TICAD IV to provide assistance that was named the Yokohama Action Plan. Based around the concept of "human security," the plan includes provisions for continued assistance to ensure health care, elementary education and drinking water. In addition, emphasis was placed on assistance to accelerate the healthy economic growth in Africa including provisions to improve the basic industrial infrastructure such as roads and power development, promoting trade and investment, and improving agricultural productivity as well as to promote partnerships with the private sector. In addition, a policy was spelled out for combating the global issue of the environment and climate change.