 About
TICAD
Japan's
commitment to Africa
Japan is determined to contribute
to the development of Africa. Although there are few historical
ties with the continent (indeed Tokyo did not open full-fledged
relations with African countries until they had declared their
independence from colonial rule after the Second World War),
Japan does hold a strong belief that there will be no stability
or prosperity in the world unless the problems of Africa are
resolved.
Japan's commitment was demonstrated in launching
the TICAD process and shifting the international community's
attention back to Africa in the 1990s, after the end of the
Cold War appeared to focus global interest elsewhere.
Through TICAD Japan has promoted the principles
of both global partnership and African ownership. As stated
in the Tokyo Agenda for Action adopted at TICAD II in 1998,
Japan and its African partners believe that priorities for
economic and social development should be determined by African
countries themselves, and development should be pursued under
a common framework for cooperation among all development actors.
Japan's work through TICAD complements the substantial overseas
development aid which it has directed towards African countries.
It is from this standpoint that Japan firmly
welcomed the launch of the New Partnership for Africa's Development
(NEPAD) in 2001, when Africa's leaders proclaimed the principle
of ownership in development. They stated: "we will determine
our own destiny and call on the world to complement our efforts."
They also stressed their determination to meet pre-requisites
for development such as peace, security, democracy, good governance,
and sound economic management. With such principles, it is
clear that NEPAD is building upon key elements that are also
embraced by Japan's overall purpose in initiating TICAD. |
TICAD stands for "Tokyo International Conference on African
Development". It was launched in 1993 to promote high-level
policy dialogue between African leaders and development partners.
TICAD has since evolved into a major global framework to facilitate
the implementation of initiatives for promoting African development
under the dual principle of African "ownership" and international
"partnership". A central feature of this framework is
the cooperation between Asia and Africa.
TICAD enjoys the joint support of co-organizers, namely the Government
of Japan, the United Nations
Office of the Special Advisor on Africa (UN-OSAA), the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank. Its stakeholders
include all African countries and development partners including
Asian countries, donor nations, international agencies, civil society
organizations, the private sector and parliaments.
TICAD's Main Objectives
The objectives of TICAD are two-fold: 1) to promote high-level
policy dialogue between African leaders and their partners; and
2) to mobilize support for African-owned development initiatives.
These objectives are embodied in the concept of "ownership"
and "partnership".
The TICAD Process
The first conference (TICAD I) took place in 1993. During the event
the co-organizers vowed to reverse the decline in development assistance
for Africa which had followed the end of the Cold War. Participants
adopted the Tokyo Declaration on African Development, committing
to the pursuit of political and economic reforms in Africa, increased
private sector development, regional cooperation and integration,
and the harnessing of Asian experience of the benefit of African
development.
Held in 1998, the second conference (TICAD II) renewed the commitment
to Africa's development challenges with poverty reduction and integration
of Africa into the global economy as a primary theme, culminating
in the adoption of the Tokyo Agenda for Action (TAA). The TAA outlined
a framework of cooperation in the TICAD process identifying shared
goals, objectives and guidelines for actions to be taken by Africa
and its partners.
In 2003, the third conference (TICAD III) made an explicit commitment
for the TICAD Initiative to support the African Union's New Partnership
for Africa's Development (NEPAD), a blueprint for Africa's peace and socio-economic
growth and development. TICAD III was held in Tokyo with high-level
participation of African leaders, including 23 heads of State, and
10 heads of international organizations. It was heralded as one
of the largest international conferences on African development.
A political statement TICAD 10th Anniversary Declaration that renewed
the commitment of leaders for African development was adopted at
the conference.
Under the overall objective to foster a vibrant Africa, TICAD IV, held in Yokohama, Japan, from 28 through 30 May 2008,
addressed the following three priority areas:
1) Boosting economic growth;
2) Ensuring “human security”, including the achievment of
the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and
the consolidation of peace and democratization; and
3) Addressing environmental issues and climate change.
Results fromTICAD IV are expected to be fed into the G-8 Hokkaido
Toyako Summit scheduled to be held from 7 to 9 July, 2008.
The TICAD UNDP/Africa Bureau continues to promote its agenda in
collaboration with the African Union (AU) and NEPAD.
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