【 Advocacy 】

September.13.2005

■□　Our appeal for the World Summit 2005

Poverty eradication has become the important global issue for the realization of world peace. Many African countries receive global attention due to their social and economic problems. These problems such as poverty, HIV/AIDS and civil war hinder the citizens in African countries from access to basic social services like safe water, basic education and health care.    Under such circumstances, the Japanese government in 2005 pledged to increase its Official Development Assistant (ODA) volume by US $10 billion in aggregate over the next five years and to double its ODA to Africa in the next three years.  On the commitment presented by the Japanese government, we would like to request that the following actions be taken: 　　 1. Fulfill the international pledge(          1) to increase its ODA to 0.7% of Japan’s Gross National Income (GNI). 2. Act on the official commitment(                2) to double its ODA to 　Africa　in the next 3 years. 3. Act on the official commitment(                3) to increase its ODA volume by US $10 billion in aggregate.    　 We therefore strongly hope that the Japanese government listens to the citizens in African countries more carefully. Then the Japanese government can use its ODA equally for all the people in 　Africa　to live in a safe and peaceful environment. We believe that it is necessary for the Japanese citizens to take interest in the social problems in African countries and give their ideas to policy makers. Our goal is to make global society better in partnership with the citizens in African countries. As global citizens, we can make it happen through mutual understanding and respect for each other’s culture and social values as global citizens.

1. The number 0.7% is based on the agreement made among donor countries 35 years ago that each donor country will be providing an equal to ODA 0.7% of the country’s GNI by the year 2010. 2. Prime Minister Koizumi stated “ Japan will double its ODA to Africa in the next 3 years in which the large sum will be a grant aid” in his speech at the “Asian- African Summit 2005” held at Ban dung, Indonesia on 22 April. http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/press/enzetsu/17/ekoi_0422.html 3. On the occasion of the official visit by an African delegation based in Tokyo on 28 June 2005, Prime Minister Koizumi stated that the Japanese government will double its ODA to Africa in the next 3 years and the volume of ODA projects in Africa in the next 5 years will increase in the amount of US $10 billion (Approximately \1 trillion) compared to ODA net disbursements. The statement was given as one of the policy efforts by the Japanese government to assist African development which was one of the important issues during the G8 Gleneagles Summit from 6th to 　8th July, 2005.