Annual Reports

Two major international conferences were held in Japan during the first half of 2008: the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) in May, and the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit in July. Both meetings highlighted the need for concerted international action to tackle such problems as climate change, rising oil and food prices and the necessity of enhancing support for Africa.

The African continent has enjoyed a more than 5% economic growth figure in recent years, but it nevertheless faces grave problems such as widespread poverty, HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, as well as a lack of access to such basic necessities as safe drinking water, sanitation or education for millions of people.

JICA is committed to helping build a new ‘Vibrant Africa’ with a series of different approaches including: at the national level, strengthening regional infrastructure such as road networks to ensure sustained economic growth; expanding human resources in areas such as science and technology; increasing the production of food crops such as rice and encouraging closer cooperation between governments and the private sector.

At the grassroots level, JICA supports the concept of human security, which means encouraging local communities to both participate in and enjoy the fruits of health, education and water projects. Employing a cross-sectoral approach, it can help resolve difficult social and political problems by supporting conflict prevention activities, providing emergency assistance wherever necessary and then ensuring a ‘smooth and seamless’ support system for further reconstruction and long-term development.

This year marks the midway point in the international community’s ambitious Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). However, it appears uncertain that several targets such as reducing maternal mortality or the spread of infectious diseases will be met, particularly in Africa. It is therefore essential to boost these efforts both by the international community and by African and other nations taking ‘ownership’ of MDG programs.

Environmental problems, particularly climate change, are among the biggest issues facing us in the 21st century. Even a minor environmental shift could pose a serious threat, particularly to developing countries and this was a major topic at the G8 Hokkaido Summit.

JICA has already taken steps to meet this challenge. It launched an Office for Climate Change in December 2007 which will support developing countries in two areas: those of ‘mitigation’ or ensuring the compatibility of greenhouse gas reductions and sustainable development and ‘adaptation’ or helping countries to cope with the unavoidable effects of climate change.

The organization will also make effective use of Japan’s outstanding environmental technology and public awareness to help developing countries strengthen environmental conservation by creating similar technology systems and expanding their human resource base.

Throughout the year natural disasters struck many parts of the globe. An important part of JICA’s mandate is to help threatened countries, either by strengthening disaster prevention systems or, in the event of catastrophe, providing emergency supplies and disaster relief teams. Two of the largest operations in the preceding year involved helping victims of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar and those of a massive earthquake which struck China’s Sichuan Province.

Looking ahead, 2008 is a significant historical milestone. Completing a three-year reorganization of Japan’s overall Official Development Assistance (ODA), JICA on October 1 merged with the development assistance section of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) to form the world’s largest bilateral development aid agency.

For the first time, one organization will be able to offer technical assistance, grant aid and soft loans, and this synergy will allow New JICA to offer faster, more comprehensive projects which can be individually shaped to meet the specific needs of local communities and partner countries.

In addition to our field activities, JICA has substantially strengthened its research capabilities by launching the new JICA Research Institute. This institute, which will attract both Japanese and overseas experts, will explore more interdisciplinary approaches than traditional development studies, synthesizing economics, political science and historical perspectives. The outcome of its activities will be shared with international policymakers, fellow donor organizations and partner countries.

To accomplish Japan’s responsibility in international society, JICA will conduct continuous innovation in its operation to meet the specific needs of people in developing countries, under our new vision of ‘Inclusive and Dynamic Development.’

This report is mainly the compilation of the organization’s activities during fiscal 2007. During the period under review, JICA ended its field activities in Hungary and Poland. At the same time, it reopened the field office in Sudan, opened a new field office in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and restarted assistance to Liberia.

The number of Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) dispatched around the world since the program was first launched in 1965 topped 30,000 and there is increased interest in a companion program for senior volunteers.

In an increasingly interdependent world, the problems of developing countries connect directly with the lives of people everywhere, including Japan. As we continue to work for a more peaceful and prosperous world, we will encourage greater public participation in our activities among all segments of our society, including both younger and older generations.

I hope that this report will increase a wider understanding of JICA’s activities.

September 2008

Sadako Ogata
President
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)