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++++ TCSF English Newsletter Extra ++++ March 12, 2008

Viva! Africa: People's Network across Continents
Published by TICAD Civil Society Forum (TCSF)
http://ticad-csf.net/eng/index.htm
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Dear colleagues,
Our English newsletter contains information about TCSF's Activities
and Japanese aid support toward Africa. We hope to strengthen our
network with you by sharing information about our activities.
Thank you.

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The Recommendations towards TICAD IV [*1] and G8 Summit in Toyako
-Responding to climate change and resource development by People-Driven approaches-
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On the 21st February 2008, the senior level conference organised by Institute of African
Studies of Waseda University entitled “Japan’s Africa Policy in the Era of Climate Change
and Resource Scarcity - Towards People-driven sustainable development in Africa” [*2] was
held at Waseda University. Through active and fruitful discussions, the participants have
shared the following understandings and recommendations.

---The Challenges for Africa---
African people are living under the pressure of daily survival. The deprived people, who
are the majority of the total population, are facing serious problems due to their weak
capacity to adapt to climate change. This is shown in the reduction of the food production
caused by recurring flood and drought. In addition, the capacities of governments to
rectify the situation are weak in Africa.

Although the sharp rise of resource prices such as crude oil and rare metal is realising
economic growth on macro-level in resource-rich countries in Africa, the gap and
inequality between different strata of many countries have been widened which is resulting
in social antagonism and instability within the society. In fact, the percentage of deprived
people in those countries is not decreasing.

Even in those countries that are not producer of crude oil or rare metal, the prices of
timber, food, or other primary commodity products are rising and giving big impact on
African countries. Under a normal circumstance, this can be a favourable opportunity
for those many African people who are surviving on primary product. However, the
decline of production due to abnormal climate, environmental degradation, and competition
for land and water resources with large companies have forced them to be affected with
negative impacts instead of utilising this opportunity.

Women are particularly forced to pay a heavy cost. They are the ones who are responsible
of bringing food, water, and fuel to their family.
For the deprived people in Africa, subsistence is a major concern. The daily survival is the
first priority. It became clear that in this conference, we need to discuss issues by taking
this fact as a central concern into consideration. The improvement of those people’s
livelihood is indispensable in any adaptation measures to climate change or in economic
growth through the sharp rise of resource prices.

Although the challenges that African people are facing are truly large, there is an increasing
momentum for supporting Africa. Above of all, the role of Japanese government, who is
hosting the 4th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) and
the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit, is becoming important. It is a crucial time to reverse
negative impacts of climate change and price increase of resources for the benefit of
African people’s lives.


--- Recommendations---
participants of the conference appeal the following recommendations to Japanese
government to take them into considerations toward TICAD IV and G8 Hokkaido
Toyako Summit.

I.
The climate change is the greatest “market failure” and it can only be solved by human
intelligence, not by the market. For the human being to survive, it is necessary to mainstream
the measures against climate change in development, and furthermore, to realise a major
changeover to a kind of low-carbon society. To realise these, the economic model that G8
countries had adopted in the past needs to be changed fundamentally. Africa also needs to
fight against climate change and needs to find a new model to achieve sustainable development.
For this purpose, it is necessary to make efforts for encouraging a discussion beyond political
borders, sharing experiences, and finding new wisdom. Given these factors, we request Japanese
Government to work on the followings in support of civil society.
1.　For the adaptation to climate change and resource management, to support the establishment
a system which enables African people to collect experiences of successes at the grassroots
level and to share these good practices beyond the borders.
2.　Assist new challenges to be implemented by African people which would be based on the
collected information on good practices.

II.
Regardless of macro or micro efforts, an adaptation to or pro-active preventive measures
of climate change in Africa can not be achieved effects without a People-Driven approach.
This can also be applied to poverty reduction through economic growth.

III.
It is a responsibility of industrial countries to support African people’s fight against the ill
effects of climate change. As it is the industrial countries that have been emitting great
amount of carbon dioxide, the largest victims of the global warming are the deprived
people of Africa who have only been emitting minimum carbon dioxide. Therefore, measures
against the ill effects of climate change must be implemented by using additional financial
aid flows, instead of the already committed development aid fund.

IV.
The participants welcome the establishments or the approvals of establishment of various
funds to engage in climate change issues. At the same time, we strongly request for a
harmonisation among these funds and their efficient use and a major improvement for
the access of people, especially of women, to these funds. To realise this, participation of
civil society in the management of each of these funds is indispensable.

V.
In order to slow down the global warming, one of the most important points is to protect
African forest, the last remaining rainforest on the Earth. Rainforest is a precious and
un-renewable resource. Until now, the international community has been unsuccessful
at rainforest conservation. However, the international agreements on the needs of the
financial mechanisms for rainforest conservation are finally starting to be approved.
We believe that it is the local people who are directly dependent on the benefit of forest
and can protect it and thus it is necessary that a financial mechanism is installed with
a system which rewards their efforts for conservation.

VI.
Concerning the conservation and reforestation of forest other than rainforest, it is also
necessary to adopt systems dependent on benefit, power, and decision of the local
people. Furthermore, it is also needed to assure an access to sustainable energy
alternative to firewood.

VII.
In order for Africa to break the “resource curse”, democracy and governance should
be improved and the wealth from resources should be equally and productively
invested. The resource curse is a word meaning that a country with rich natural
resources tends to delay in sustainable economic development. The development of
resources in Africa is being accelerated under the current sharp price rise. In order
to make this an opportunity for a poverty reduction and balanced development, it is
necessary to enhance and disseminate the mechanisms of resource income management,
which are already being incorporated in some countries, with participation of various
stakeholders such as civil society.

VIII.
The cultivation of bio-fuel crops in Africa should be done with great care on its impact
and also should prioritise small scale farmers’ benefit. This is because that in Africa
there already are cases where bio-fuel crop cultivation is causing competition with
food production, and also large-scale development and forest destruction which sacrifice
local people’s livelihood are taking place. To avoid these negative impacts, an international
certification system for bio-fuel should be established immediately. Also, we request for
a creation of guidelines for bio-fuel crops production and a support for Africa to introduce
the certification system.

IX.
It is true that private funds are indispensable for the fight against climate change.
However, the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) system is inefficient in less-industrialised
Africa. The discussion on the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD),
a mechanism that gives financial incentives for efforts of conserving forests mitigating carbon
dioxide increase, has been started. We request that it should be designated and implemented
with due consideration on local community and biodiversity.

X.
We request equal access to water and equal participation for all the stakeholders in
utilisation of water. Water is a strategically important resource for both people and nation.
The amount of water usage in Africa is increasing and the participatory management of
water is necessary for conflict prevention.

XI.
In order for China’s increased activities in Africa to benefit the environment and
governance, it is necessary to pay efforts to incorporate those activities into the
international framework, and it is also needed for Africa to make guidelines for business
activities. International community should cooperate in realising private companies to
honour the guidelines. Also, international support may be beneficial for China to control
business activities within its country.

XII.
To realise adaptation measures for climate change and resource management, and also
mainly aiming at achievements of the recommendations I and VII shown above, we
would like to request for an establishment of “Africa Japan Partnership Fund”.


---Conclusion ---

The most significant points that the participants of this conference had agreed
were the importance of “people-driven” approaches and the need for the
participation of all stakeholders. All of the recommendations from this conference
can only be realised by people driven approach. The local people, especially the
deprived people, are the major victims of abnormal environment caused by climate
change. However, at the same time, the local people have rich experiences of
preventing the ill effect and adapting to it. Any effort can not be successful
without a primary consideration on their benefit and a reliance on their knowledge.
To make the local people exercise their power, we should fully mobilise the activities
of governments, companies, civil society organisations and donors.

Additionally, a sudden progress of new resource development including bio-fuel
plants should prioritise the benefit of the local people, especially the poor.
Although the resource development may bring with it economic growth in Africa,
if a benefit of a particular group only is pursued, it will worsen governance, destabilise
politics, and deteriorate environment, and will not bring truly sustainable economic
development.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and measures on climate change and
resource development are indivisibly united. The participants of the conference
expect for strong leadership of Japanese Government in TICAD IV and G8
Summit concerning these issues. The above recommendations are a combination
of wisdoms by those who are conducting activities at a frontline or involved in policy
making concerning climate change and resource development, who have gathered
at this Conference from Japan, Africa, and Europe[*3] . The participants are hoping
that these recommendations will strengthen Japan’s leadership.




[*1] The 4th Tokyo International Conference on African Development
[*2] Co-organisers: TICAD Civil Society Forum (TCSF), United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP)
[*3] 90 specialists of the United Nations, NGOs and Academia from Africa, Japan
and Europe, and senior level officials of the governments of Africa, Japan and
UK participated in this conference. The program is posted at the website of
TICAD Civil Society Forum: http://www.ticad-csf.net

Supporters of the conference were: The Asahi Simbun, British Embassy/Department
for International Development (DFID), Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC),
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Ministry of Economy, Trade and
Industry (METI), Ministry of the Environment (MoE), Ministry of Finance (MoF) Ministry of
Foreign Affairs (MoFA), TICAD IV-NGO Network (TNnet), The Mainichi Newspapers,
The World Bank, 2008 Japan G8 Summit NGO Forum.

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