Tokyo International Conference on African Development
[5] TICAD has evolved into a major global forum to promote development on the continent under the principles of African "ownership" and international "partnership."
The emphasis has shifted from TICAD-I's relatively simple issues of direct aid to more multi-faceted and inter-related topics which combine in sustainable development programs.
African countries and their development partners agreed on the "Tokyo Agenda for Action" (TAA), which was intended to become a commonly understood strategic- and action-oriented set of guidelines.
[16] TICAD focused on strategies for better mobilizing the knowledge and resources of the international community in the core areas of: (a) economic growth; (b) human security, including achieving the UN's Millennium Development Goals; and (c) environment/climate change issues.
[17] In this context, World Bank and International Monetary Fund Development Committee Executive Secretary, Kiyoshi Kodera, spoke at a pre-event meeting in which he argued that everyone needs to "accept the harsh reality" that sub-Saharan African countries will remain heavily dependent on foreign aid until they find a new growth path.
[18] Attending the conference were representatives of the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), a number of donor countries, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other relevant agencies.
[6] The shared perspectives of the conference delegates served to underscore the case for immediate assistance to help Africa's vulnerable economies to weather the global food and fuel crisis.
[4] Participants agreed that emergency food aid was necessary, but it was also necessary to carry out medium-to-long-term interventions, with special attention on the division of roles and complementarity among various development agencies.
[20] In a speech delivered at TICAD-IV, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda committed the government to extending yen-denominated loans worth up to ¥415-billion (US$4-billion) and financial assistance totalling about ¥260-billion (US$2.5-billion) over the next five years.
Another reason for the government's magnanimity is that Japan is trying to strengthen its relations with African countries to win their support for its bid to gain a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
[22] In addition, the Economy, Trade and Industry Minister, Akira Amari, met with African leaders in an effort to work towards developing closer relationships with countries participating in the conference.
As China and India seeking to forge closer ties with the African continent, the conference is a key opportunity for Japan to maintain its diplomatic clout.
[24] The African continent remains a potential markets for Japan; and both China and India recognized an urgent need to secure commodities to fuel their economic booms.
For instance, the Japanese government planned to include a statement in the Yokohama Declaration to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent from current levels by 2050.
[22] TICAD summits underscore the importance Asian economic and political competitors place in getting on the right side of African leaders - many of whom are sitting on huge mineral, oil and other resources.
The continent also offers a growing market for low-end manufactured goods that are no longer exportable to the developed countries of Europe and America.
Some voices argued that it would be better if Africa attended TICAD-V (2013) with a continental-wide agenda which could then be broken up into country-specific strategies which could be more fully explored during the subsequent bilateral meetings.
[27] In a sense, Thabo Mbeki embraced this continental strategy as he suggested that Africa's future economic growth should happen through trade and not aid.
Mbeki said, "Without discounting the importance of aid, improved terms of trade for Africa are critical to ensure its full integration into the global economy.
This prize was created in honor of Hideyo Noguchi, a prominent Japanese bacteriologist who discovered the agent of syphilis in 1911,[30] and who died in Africa while working towards the development of a vaccine for virulent yellow fever.
[36] From the outset, the 2008 Noguchi Prizes—consisting of a citation, a medal and an honorarium of 100 million yen (US$843,668) -- were only intended to be the first in a continuing series; and subsequent prizes are expected to be awarded every five years.
[38] TICAD-V was held in Yokohama 1–3 June 2013[39] and forty-one African heads of state, along with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, attended.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe opened the conference by announcing a five-year $32 billion package to support infrastructure development and boost economic growth in Africa.
[40] The conference ended as one of the largest summit meetings ever held in Japan with the participants totaling more than 4,500, including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Minister for Foreign Affairs Fumio Kishida, as well as representatives from 51 African countries including 39 heads of state and government, delegates from 31 development partner countries and Asian nations, 72 international and regional organizations, the private sector, NGOs and civil society.
Under the concept, active discussions were conducted on the future of African development, centering on the main themes of TICAD V, namely "Robust and Sustainable Economy," "Inclusive and Resilient Society," and "Peace and Stability.
For example, the Japan–African Regional Economic Communities (RECs) Summit Roundtable was held in New York on the margins of the UN General Assembly on September 26, 2013, chaired by Prime Minister Abe.
