The Urgent Request on the Access Pass for the TICAD IV Main Meetings

20th May, 2008

The Urgent Request on the Access Pass
for the TICAD IV Main Meetings

H.E. Mr. Masato Kidera
Director-General for African Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan

Dear Excellency,

We would like to pay our respect to your daily efforts on African development issues toward TICAD IV which is coming just around the corner.

On Friday 16th May, we have received a message from the official of the MoFA in charge of NGO referring that “3 passes will be provided for the plenary session, and 8 passes will be provided for working groups sessions, and this includes passesfor the foreign NGOs”. Additionally, on Monday 19th May, we were informed by Mr. Okada, the Director, Second Africa Division of MoFA, that “Since only 3 passes will be provided to each international organization, in the similar way, 3 passes will be provided for the NGOs as well”.

Previously, in TICAD III, 10 passes were provided to 30 representatives of Japanese NGOs, and all the members of African and International NGOs were provided with the access pass. The civil societies have been involved with this long period of five years from TICAD III to TICAD IV, and we have been receiving the encouraging messages from the successive Director-Generals for African Affairs that the participation of civil societies will not be pushed back.

As you are aware, TICAD IV NGO Network (TNnet) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been holding the regular talks once in two months for the period of past one year, deepening the discussions and coordination including the issues on the access pass. However, it was never mentioned that the Japanese/African/International NGOs will be counted together and will be considered as “one international organization” and only “3 passes” will be provided for these entire organizations.

We, the Japanese civil society, have been taking actions to make TICAD known to more African people, and have been widely calling for the participation of African civil society to TICAD, as they are working close to the African people who are struggling to overcome the world’s most severe problems. The invited representatives of NGOs for TICAD IV are the people who are responding to such calls, and are committed in giving explanations on TICAD in each African country, and also are implementing the participation of the civil societies to TICAD process through building all-Africa civil society networks beyond the state borders. The message as revealed above will create a strong disappointment, and an opposition to the process by the African civil societies.

Therefore, we are requesting the followings to avoid the worst case scenario.
1. Like the previous conference, 10 passes for the Japanese NGOs should be given considering the participation of 61 Japanese NGOs, as it has never been mentioned for reducing the number.. We can however accept some adjustment as members of the host country’s civil society.
2. African/International NGOs are visiting Japan at the invitation of co-hosts of TICAD and the Japanese government. In the name of co-hosts, we are requesting that these foreign NGOs should all be granted the pass..

We fully acknowledge that the Japanese government face huge difficulty in adjusting the number within the tight capacity of the conference room, as explained by Mr. Okada. The requests above stands as basics. However, TNnet is ready for cooperation in this adjustment for which African/international NGOs may strongly oppose, as only a short time is left

Japanese NGO (35 NGOs, 61members):
• Plenary Session: 3 passes for Japanese NGOs counted as 1 organisation
• Working Group Sessions: 2 passes × 4sessions for Japanese NGOs counted as 1 organization

10 African NGOs recommended by TNnet:
Ø Plenary Session: 3 passes for African NGOs counted as 1 organization
Ø Working Group Sessions: 2 passes × 4sessions for African NGOs counted as 1 organization

10 International NGOs recommended by TNnet:
Ø Plenary Session: 3 passes for international NGOs counted as 1 organization
Ø Working Group Sessions: 2 passes × 4sessions for international NGOs counted as 1 organization

Moreover, African/international NGO visitors (6NGOs, 7members) recommended by the co-hosts should be coordinated with reference to the above case by the co-hosts’ responsibility.

We are sincerely requesting your quick response and resolution on this issue.

20th May, 2008
TICAD IV NGO network (TNnet)

In addition, we are asking that this pass issue should be explained to African/international NGO visitors by MoFA as the host and the final decision-maker.