The 8th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 8): JICA’s Efforts in Africa Facing Complex Crises
The 8th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 8) was held in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, from Saturday, August 27 to Sunday, August 28. This year’s TICAD was attended by representatives from 48 African countries, with Prime Minister Kishida participating online, Foreign Minister Hayashi (Special Envoy of the Prime Minister), President Said Said of Tunisia (host country), and President Sal Senegal (AU President) as co-chairs, and as the outcome of the conference, the “Tunis Declaration” was adopted. In conjunction with the Tunis Declaration, the Japanese government released a 70-point “Japan’s Initiatives at TICAD 8”.
In his opening speech, Prime Minister Kishida emphasized the importance of “investment in people” as “Japan as a partner that grows together with Africa,” and expressed his commitment to “inject a total of $30 billion in public and private funds over the next three years” and to “train 300,000 human resources.
Based on the results of the two-day discussion, the Tunis Declaration was adopted at the meeting, consisting of three pillars: (1) Economy: Achieving Structural Transformation for Sustainable Economic Growth and Development, (2) Society: Building a Resilient and Sustainable Society, and (3) Peace and Stability: Achieving Sustainable Peace and Stability. The Declaration confirms the importance of “investment in people,” as well as the importance of multilateralism, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the pursuit of peaceful resolution of disputes.
President Tanaka participated in TICAD-related events in the region: communicating the role of the private sector and the importance of solidarity among the international community During the TICAD session, President Tanaka participated in and spoke at three TICAD-related events held in Tunis. First, on August 27, he spoke at a business forum organized by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). Noting that the private sector, especially the youth and innovation, are key to overcoming the complex crises facing Africa, I introduced three examples of JICA’s efforts: (1) ABE Initiative, (2) Project NINJA, and (3) FinTech support through overseas investment and loans. He stressed the importance of solidarity among African countries and peoples, the private sector, and the international community.
On August 28, President Tanaka spoke at the launch event of Phase 5 of the “Joint Initiative for Private Sector Development in Africa” (EPSA5), which was held as part of the Business Forum, together with Mr. Kanda, Finance Minister of the Ministry of Finance and Mr. Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), to promote the implementation of EPSA5. The Japanese government also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the AfDB to promote the implementation of the new EPSA5. In the new EPSA5, the Government of Japan also announced that the loan amount will be increased from $3.5 billion in EPSA4 to $4 billion, and that the focus areas will include strengthening consolidation and adding agriculture and nutrition sectors. In response to this, President Tanaka mentioned that JICA and AfDB have been working together for private sector development in Africa through EPSA since 2005, and have achieved $7.3 billion in financial cooperation, and also noted the need to strengthen resilience and ensure human security in Africa under complex crises, and to demonstrate “solidarity” in the international community. Recognizing the importance of strengthening resilience and ensuring human security in Africa under the complex crises and demonstrating “solidarity” in the international community, he announced that as an implementing agency of the Japanese government, Japan will responsibly contribute to the achievement of the EPSA5 goals.
On August 28, JICA, JETRO, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to support Japanese companies’ business in Africa. President Tanaka delivered a speech along with JETRO President Sasaki, UNDP President Steiner, and UNIDO Director Yasunaga. President Tanaka mentioned the significance of the four organizations working together by leveraging their respective strengths for the development of the African private sector, including the expansion of Japanese companies’ business in Africa.
President Tanaka and Executive Director Nakamura meet with African Heads of State and Government During their stay in Tunisia from August 25 to 29, President Akihiko Tanaka and Executive Director Nakamura met with African Heads of State and Government who attended TICAD8, as well as with key figures from international organizations, and exchanged opinions on priority issues for cooperation in each country and expectations for future cooperation. They exchanged opinions on priority issues for cooperation in each country, expectations for future cooperation, and other issues.
Official TICAD Side Events: Discussing Africa’s Challenges JICA hosted 24 TICAD 8 side events online over a five-day period from August 22 to 26, with approximately 5,000 people watching. Under the theme of “Realizing a Resilient, Inclusive, and Prosperous African Continent,” these side events discussed the challenges facing Africa and the direction of future efforts in various fields, including health, climate change, agriculture, regional integration, industrial development, peace, governance, and DX, with diverse actors from African governments and international organizations. The participants discussed the challenges facing Africa and the direction of future initiatives in various fields, including health, climate change, agriculture, regional integration, industrial development, peace, governance, and DX, with diverse actors from African governments and international organizations.
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