Japan focuses on developing Africa
ASK any Japanese in Tokyo about Uganda and only one in 100 will tell you where it is located. All they know is that it is in Africa. Countries that Japan knows about in Africa are those where Japanese companies have investments like South Africa.<br>
ASK any Japanese in Tokyo about Uganda and only one in 100 will tell you where it is located. All they know is that it is in Africa. Countries that Japan knows about in Africa are those where Japanese companies have investments like South Africa.
But Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is on the path to building closer relations with African countries and has launched a blueprint for African development.
The Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs is on an aggressive campaign to show that Africa matters to the technologically advanced Japan.
Hiroshi Hase, a Liberal Democratic Party Diet (Parliament) member says, “We feel that African countries as a matter of fact are very far from us. But Japan’s interests should be Africa’s interests and the most pressing issues should be assisted by Japan.â€
Japan is supporting Africa on three pillars, promotion and consolidation of peace in conflict areas, poverty reduction through the promotion of trade and investment in Africa, and human resource development.
Japan continues to look at Overseas Development Assistance as key in implementing the country's diplomacy. Japan has been leading in international efforts for African development since the commencement of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development in 1993.
Among the proposals announced by Koizumi in the Gleanagles G8 summit is the doubling of the official development assistance to Africa in the next three years. This is beside the debt cancellation of US$ 4.9b to heavily indebted poor African countries including Uganda and 100% write off of debts owed to multilateral financial organisations.
This means that countries like Uganda can no longer get bilateral loans from the G8 countries. They can only benefit from grants(money that is not repaid) for anti-poverty projects.
Japan also plans to expand its support to, protect African people's health. It proposes a comprehensive assistance amounting to US $5b over the next five years.
It will also increase its contribution to the Global Fund on Aids with a view to improving the healthcare for children and combating infectious diseases. In the fight against malaria, which has taken many lives of children, Japan plans to contribute sh10m insecticide treated nets to African countries including Uganda.
Responding to the significant progress in the peace processes for many African countries, Japan plans to expand its support in fields such as assistance to refugees and internally displaced persons, mine action disarmament and assistance in transition to democracy.
On March 2005, Japan extended assistance of approximately $60m to 14 African countries including Uganda. “We believe it is most significant to attain and consolidate peace,†he says. Japan believes in non-interference in the internal affairs of states. “We don’t want to interfere in the conflicts, we would like to facilitate Uganda’s own effort to solve the problem by providing assistance,†Mikio Mori, the Deputy Director in the Second Africa Division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Japan’s contribution toward Africa through the UN is significant bearing about one fifth of both the UN regular and peacekeeping operation budgets.
Japan’s single contribution exceeds contributions by the permanent members of the Security Council excluding the US.
Mori says most Japanese taxpayers do not know about Africa where their money is going. “Most Japanese know little about Africa. The task of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to inform its nationals who are the taxpayers to understand why we need to work with Africa.
Without resolving the issues in Africa there will be no peace in the world,†says Mori. He says Africa’s problems should be solved by Africans with their development partners. “In order for Africa to develop, it must develop the concept of partnership and ownership. That is why we are very much proud of what has been achieved through the New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD),†says Mori.
Hanatani Atsushi of the Japan International Cooperation Agency says Africa matters much in the world of development because it poses the biggest challenge to the theory and practice of development. Thirty-four of the worlds 50 least developed countries are in Africa and approximately 40% of the Africans live below poverty line.
Japan External Trade Organisation is also focusing on working with developing countries to strengthen their export industries.
On the rural front, Japan plans to support the green revolution in Africa and development. This is through the development of Agriculture and rural infrastructure like roads. A number of Japanese companies are already involved in construction work in Africa.
Responding to a call by African leaders for market access, Japan has expanded the market access to products from LDCs including Uganda. Uganda exports frozen fish, coffee, vanilla tariff and quota. Japan is helping promote foreign direct investments to Africa.
Japan thinks the key to African economic development is to foster the private sector through the promotion of trade and investment.
Asia's postwar experiences in economic development are valuable assets for Japan in assisting African development. Japan aims to support capacity building of more than 10,000 persons from Africa over the next four years.
Political analysts, however, think that Japan's shift to Africa is because of her quest to secure a permanent seat in the UN Security Council although the enthusiasm of Africa’s support is not unanimous.
Prime Minister Koizumi while addressing the UN general assembly last year said the role that Japan played provides a solid basis for its assumption of a permanent seat. It is also believed that Japan’s focus on Africa is because, the continent is getting more organised as a huge trading bloc.
But Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is on the path to building closer relations with African countries and has launched a blueprint for African development.
The Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs is on an aggressive campaign to show that Africa matters to the technologically advanced Japan.
Hiroshi Hase, a Liberal Democratic Party Diet (Parliament) member says, “We feel that African countries as a matter of fact are very far from us. But Japan’s interests should be Africa’s interests and the most pressing issues should be assisted by Japan.â€
Japan is supporting Africa on three pillars, promotion and consolidation of peace in conflict areas, poverty reduction through the promotion of trade and investment in Africa, and human resource development.
Japan continues to look at Overseas Development Assistance as key in implementing the country's diplomacy. Japan has been leading in international efforts for African development since the commencement of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development in 1993.
Among the proposals announced by Koizumi in the Gleanagles G8 summit is the doubling of the official development assistance to Africa in the next three years. This is beside the debt cancellation of US$ 4.9b to heavily indebted poor African countries including Uganda and 100% write off of debts owed to multilateral financial organisations.
This means that countries like Uganda can no longer get bilateral loans from the G8 countries. They can only benefit from grants(money that is not repaid) for anti-poverty projects.
Japan also plans to expand its support to, protect African people's health. It proposes a comprehensive assistance amounting to US $5b over the next five years.
It will also increase its contribution to the Global Fund on Aids with a view to improving the healthcare for children and combating infectious diseases. In the fight against malaria, which has taken many lives of children, Japan plans to contribute sh10m insecticide treated nets to African countries including Uganda.
Responding to the significant progress in the peace processes for many African countries, Japan plans to expand its support in fields such as assistance to refugees and internally displaced persons, mine action disarmament and assistance in transition to democracy.
On March 2005, Japan extended assistance of approximately $60m to 14 African countries including Uganda. “We believe it is most significant to attain and consolidate peace,†he says. Japan believes in non-interference in the internal affairs of states. “We don’t want to interfere in the conflicts, we would like to facilitate Uganda’s own effort to solve the problem by providing assistance,†Mikio Mori, the Deputy Director in the Second Africa Division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Japan’s contribution toward Africa through the UN is significant bearing about one fifth of both the UN regular and peacekeeping operation budgets.
Japan’s single contribution exceeds contributions by the permanent members of the Security Council excluding the US.
Mori says most Japanese taxpayers do not know about Africa where their money is going. “Most Japanese know little about Africa. The task of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to inform its nationals who are the taxpayers to understand why we need to work with Africa.
Without resolving the issues in Africa there will be no peace in the world,†says Mori. He says Africa’s problems should be solved by Africans with their development partners. “In order for Africa to develop, it must develop the concept of partnership and ownership. That is why we are very much proud of what has been achieved through the New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD),†says Mori.
Hanatani Atsushi of the Japan International Cooperation Agency says Africa matters much in the world of development because it poses the biggest challenge to the theory and practice of development. Thirty-four of the worlds 50 least developed countries are in Africa and approximately 40% of the Africans live below poverty line.
Japan External Trade Organisation is also focusing on working with developing countries to strengthen their export industries.
On the rural front, Japan plans to support the green revolution in Africa and development. This is through the development of Agriculture and rural infrastructure like roads. A number of Japanese companies are already involved in construction work in Africa.
Responding to a call by African leaders for market access, Japan has expanded the market access to products from LDCs including Uganda. Uganda exports frozen fish, coffee, vanilla tariff and quota. Japan is helping promote foreign direct investments to Africa.
Japan thinks the key to African economic development is to foster the private sector through the promotion of trade and investment.
Asia's postwar experiences in economic development are valuable assets for Japan in assisting African development. Japan aims to support capacity building of more than 10,000 persons from Africa over the next four years.
Political analysts, however, think that Japan's shift to Africa is because of her quest to secure a permanent seat in the UN Security Council although the enthusiasm of Africa’s support is not unanimous.
Prime Minister Koizumi while addressing the UN general assembly last year said the role that Japan played provides a solid basis for its assumption of a permanent seat. It is also believed that Japan’s focus on Africa is because, the continent is getting more organised as a huge trading bloc.