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Japan's ODA Charter
It struck me that some people might be interested in Japan's ODA Charter,
especially in light of the promised grant for the humanitarian reconstruction
of turbines for a hydro-electric power station (following the humanitarian
repairs carried out on Rangoon airport a couple of years back) and the arrival
of a new administration in Tokyo. DA
JAPAN'S OFFICAL DEVELOPMENT CHARTER
Cabinet Decisions
June 30, 1992
1. Basic Philosophy
Many people are still suffering from famine and poverty in the developing
countries, which constitute a great majority among
countries in the world. From a humanitarian viewpoint, the international
community can ill afford to ignore this fact. The world is
now striving to build a society where freedom, human rights, democracy and
other values are ensured in peace and prosperity.
We must recognize the fact of interdependence among nations of the
international community and that stability and the further
development of the developing world is indispensable to the peace and
prosperity of the entire world.
Environmental conservation is also a task for all humankind, which all
countries, developed and developing alike, must work
together to tackle.
It is an important mission for Japan, as a peace-loving nation, to play a
role commensurate with its position in the world to
maintain world peace and ensure global prosperity.
Bearing these points in mind, Japan attaches central importance to the
support for the self-help efforts of developing countries
towards economic take-off. It will therefore implement its ODA to help
ensure the efficient and fair distribution of resources
and "good governance" in developing countries through developing a wide
range of human resources and socioeconomic
infrastructure, including domestic systems, and through meeting the basic
human needs (BHN), thereby promoting the sound
economic development of the recipient countries. In so doing, Japan will
work for globally sustainable development while
meeting the requirements of environmental conservation.
Such assistance is expected to further promote the existing friendly
relations between Japan and all other countries, especially
those in the developing world.
2. Principles
Taking into account comprehensively each recipient country's request, its
socioeconomic conditions, and Japan's bilateral
relations with the recipient country, Japan's ODA will be provided in
accordance with the principles of the United Nations
Charter (especially those of sovereign equality and non-intervention in
domestic matters), as well as the following four
principles.
(1)Environmental conservation and development should be pursued in tandem.
(2)Any use of ODA for military purposes or for aggravation of international
conflicts should be avoided.
(3)Full attention should be paid to trends in recipient countries' military
expenditures, their development and production of
mass destruction weapons and missiles, their export and import of
arms, etc., so as to maintain and strengthen
international peace and stability, and from the viewpoint that
developing countries should place appropriate priorities in
the allocation of their resources in their own economic and social
development.
(4)Full attention should be paid to efforts for promoting democratization
and introduction of a market-oriented economy,
and the situation regarding the securing of basic human rights and
freedoms in the recipient country.
3. Priority
(1)Regions
Historically, geographically, politically and economically, Asia is a
region close to Japan. East Asian countries, especially
member countries of the Association of South East Asian Nations
(ASEAN), constitute one of the most economically
dynamic regions in the world, and it is important for the world
economy as a whole to sustain and promote the economic
development of these countries. There are, however, some Asian
countries where large segments of the population still
suffer from poverty. Asia, therefore, will continue to be a priority
region for Japan's ODA.
It is also necessary to be mindful of the poverty and the economic
difficulties in the world as a whole. Japan will therefore
extend cooperation, befitting its position in the world, to Africa,
the Middle East, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and
Oceania. Due consideration will be paid in particular to Least among
Less Developed Countries (LLDCs).
(2)Issues
(a) Approach to Global Problems
Recognizing that it is important for developed and developing
countries to cooperate in tackling global problems such as
the environment and population, Japan will support efforts being made
by developing countries to overcome these
problems.
(b) Basic Human Needs
To help people suffering from famine and poverty, refugees, and
others, Japan will provide assistance to the BHN sector
and emergency humanitarian aid.
(c) Human Resources Development, Research and Other Cooperation for
Improvement and Dissemination of
Technologies
A priority of Japan's ODA will be placed on assistance to human
resources development which, in the long term, is the
most significant element of self help efforts towards socioeconomic
development and is a basic factor for the
nation-building of developing countries. Japan will also promote
cooperation for the improvement and dissemination of
technologies, such as research cooperation that will add to research
and development as well as adaptive capabilities of
developing countries.
(d) Infrastructure Improvement
Priority will be placed on assisting infrastructure improvement,
which is a prerequisite to socioeconomic development.
(e) Structural Adjustment
Japan will provide support to structural adjustment, so that the
entrepreneurship and the vitality of the private sector in
recipient countries can be fully exerted in the market mechanisms,
and to their efforts for a solution to the accumulated
debt problem.
4. Measures for the Effective Implementation of Official Development
Assistance
(1)Japan will promote intensive policy dialogues with recipient countries,
with a view to collecting and analyzing relevant
information on these countries, and sharing with them basic
perceptions on their development policies, taking into
account their requests and ideas.
(2)To respond to the various needs of developing countries in different
stages of development, Japan's ODA will take
advantage, to the maximum extent possible, of the merits of loans,
grants, technical cooperation and other forms of
assistance. All of these forms of assistance will be organically
linked together and coordinated.
(3)When called for, there will be appropriate communication and cooperation
with aid agencies of other donor countries,
United Nations agencies and international financial institutions, as
well as Japanese local governments and private
organizations such as labor and business organizations. In
particular, efforts will be made to ensure that Japan's
perspective on ODA is adequately reflected in the cooperation through
international organizations, while taking full
advantage of the expertise and political neutrality of these
organizations. There will also be cooperation with and
appropriate support to non-governmental organizations (NGOs), while
respecting their independence.
(4)Japan's own development policies and experiences, as well as those of
countries in East and Southeast Asia which have
succeeded in economic take-off, will be put to practical use.
(5)In implementing environmental ODA, Japan will make the best use of its
technology and know-how, which it has
acquired in the process of successfully making environmental
conservation and economic development compatible.
(6)In order to contribute to the transfer of technology suitable to the
level of development of the recipient countries, Japan
will promote the development of relevant technologies and will
provide such assistance as will enable the adequate
utilization of the knowledge and technologies possessed by other
developing countries.
(7)In transferring technology and know-how, Japan will make use of those
possessed by the Japanese private sector as
well as by the government, and provide support for technical
cooperation by the private sector.
(8)In order to cope with transnational regional problems, Japan will
cooperate more closely with international organizations
and other¥53 frameworks for regional cooperation such as the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).
(9)A close relationship will be maintained between ODA, direct investment
and trade, so that those three can promote the
development of developing countries organically. For this purpose,
ODA will be more closely linked to and be
supportive of economic cooperation in the private sector through
trade insurance and such organizations as the
Export-Import Bank of Japan.
(10)Cooperation and research to find and formulate adequate development
projects will be enhanced. For the future
improvement of its ODA, project evaluations, including third party
evaluations and joint evaluations with recipients and
other donors and organizations, will also be strengthened.
(11)Regional studies of developing countries, studies of development
policy, and comprehensive evaluation of ODA will be
further promoted.
(12)Full consideration will be given to the active participation of women
in development, and to their obtaining benefits from
development.
(13)Full consideration will be given to the socially weak, such as the
disadvantaged, children and the elderly.
(14)Consideration will be given to redressing the gap between the rich and
the poor and the gap among various regions in
developing countries.
(15)Japan's ODA activities will be conducted with full care to see that
they do not lead to injustice or corruption in the
recipient countries.
5. Measures to Promote Understanding and Support at Home and Abroad
The following measures will be adopted to ensure that ODA is implemented
with public understanding both at home and
abroad and to secure the participation of the Japanese people.
(1)Making ODA Information Public While taking into account such matters as
diplomatic relations with recipient countries,
more information regarding the ODA activities will be made available
to the Diet and to the public.
(2)Enhancement of Public Relations and Development Education Organized
public relations activities and educational
programs on development assistance will be promoted.
6. ODA Implementation System
(1)Recruitment, Training and Utilization of Competent Aid Personnel
In order to recruit, train and utilize fully the talents of competent
ODA personnel, training institutes of aid experts will be
enhanced to foster more development specialists, private enterprise
consultants and others.
(2)Ensuring Effective and Efficient Mechanisms to Implement ODA
Communication and consultation between relevant ministries and
agencies will be promoted for the effective and efficient
implementation of ODA. In addition, cooperation between the two
aid-implementing organizations, the Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Overseas Economic
Cooperation Fund (OECF) will be intensified. At
the same time, the ODA implementation functions of these two
organizations will be improved. In order to obtain further
cooperation from the private sector, efforts will be made to extend
such support to this sector as will appropriately cover
the related operating expenses.
(3)Ensuring the Safety of ODA Personnel Dispatched Overseas
Continued efforts will be made to safeguard the lives and personal
safety of ODA personnel dispatched to developing
areas, and to provide necessary assistance in the event of unexpected
incidents.