Part I
General Remarks

Main Activities in FY2003

Part I General Remarks–Main Activities in FY2003

Special Feature

JICS Assisting
Peacebuilding Activities
Representing hopes for peace, small arms turned in by the public are burned. (Cambodia)

Regional conflict could become the distinguishing characteristic of the twenty-first century. There are still
many regions in the world today—for example Cambodia, Sri Lanka or Aceh Province in Indonesia—that
are experiencing conflict or that have been left devastated in the aftermath of regional clashes. Conflicts
raise humanitarian issues and also have long-term detrimental effects on development and the environment.
Since conflicts are caused not only by religious or ethnic strife, but also by poverty, economic disparity or ineffective
governance systems, it is essential for the international community to work together to reduce poverty, establish
infrastructure and strengthen administrative capabilities through development assistance.
Against this background the Japanese government has been providing support for peacebuilding and rehabilitation, and JICS is also playing a role in these efforts. Here are reports describing what JICS is doing to provide support
for conflict prevention and peacebuilding in Cambodia and Sierra Leone, and in rehabilitation support for
Afghanistan and East Timor.

6

Cambodiamajor barrier to peacebuilding and restoring social stability in Cambodia after the war.

Alleviating the Negative Legacyof Conflict

De Facto Weapons of Mass Destruction(WMD)

Since the Paris Peace Accord of 1991, Cambodia has been
taking steps to rebuild the country in order to achievereconstruction. The Japanese government has been actively involved in peace, reconstruction and development
efforts, providing personnel and financial resources to
UNTAC (The United Nations Transition Authority in
Cambodia) in 1993 and advocating a “Zero Victims
Program” under the 1997 treaty banning anti-personnel
mines. However, the 21-year long civil war which began in1970 left behind countless anti-personnel mines andsmall weapons, a negative legacy that now constitutes a

Since 1999, the Japanese government has implemented
the Project for Improvement of Equipment for Demining
Activities to give support for demining activities. JICS has
been providing procurement management service since
the start of the Project. On June 18, 2003, a ceremony for
handover of the Project Phase III took place, for whichshrub-removing equipment, mine detectors and otherequipment were procured.
In addition, in 2003 Japan began providing active support for measures against small arms, which are considered de facto weapons of mass destruction and require

Special Feature

JICS Assisting Peacebuilding Activities

What is grant aid for conflict prevention
and peacebuilding?
This is grant aid providing funds needed for securing equipment and carrying out the necessary activities in programs forconflict prevention and peacebuilding, for example helping
with reintegration of former soldiers, collecting small arms,
and promoting positive relations among various ethnic
groups in developing countries. This grant aid has been provided since FY2002 within the framework of non-project grantaid.
At a handover ceremony on June 18, Japanese ambassador Gotaro Ogawa(left) presents a landmine detector, symbolizing equipment provided by
Japan, to Cambodian premier Hun Sen.

urgent countermeasures.
Small arms such as pistols and automatic rifles areeasy to manufacture, obtain and operate. Because of this,numerous crimes are carried out using small arms, amajor problem in conflict areas throughout the world andin the aftermath of conflicts. In addition to small arms
abandoned in forests or mountainous areas, many people
in Cambodia continue carrying them illegally, because
they do not trust police or due to unsettled social conditions. A 1998 survey determined that there was one smallarm for every three to five households, and many crimes
are committed using these arms.
Critical Test for Propagating
Peacebuilding Activities
The Cambodian government has made small arms one ofits priority issues and has drafted new laws to combat thisproblem. But lacking knowledge, expertise and funds totackle the issue, it requires the support of the international
community.
Accordingly, the Cambodian government requested
grant aid cooperation from the Japanese government for
the Peacebuilding and Comprehensive Small Arms

In November 2003, JICS Board of Trustees member Yoriko Meguro, professor, Sophia University, visited the “Peacebuilding and Comprehensive Small
Arms Management Programme in Cambodia” project site. Prof. Meguro(right) is shown inspecting an armory supervised by the Cambodian police.

Management Programme in Cambodia. On January 13,
2003, an Exchange of Notes for 450 million yen in grant
aid was signed by the two governments, following which
the Cambodian government and JICS signed a contract for
implementation management on March 24 the same year.
Under this program, local citizens are encouraged toturn in their small arms voluntarily and as an incentive,
are offered the infrastructure desired. The program also
provides support for the Cambodian government to createa system for managing and registering small arms. It is
hoped that these initiatives will promote the collection ofsmall arms and improve public safety.
This is the Japanese government’s first grant aid for
conflict prevention and peacebuilding. This is a very significant activity, in the sense that it provides a starting
point for more widespread peacebuilding activities byJapan in the future.
Collection and Burning of Small Arms

Small arms turned in to local police.

This program is being carried out by four Japanese staff,
including a program manager dispatched from JICS, and7

Part I General Remarks–Main Activities in FY2003

Afghanistan
Attempting to Establish Peace

Workshop conducted by JSAC for local residents to teach them the importance of turning in small arms.

Children reading a
JSAC information
poster.

8

11 local staff forming a JSAC
(Japanese Small Arms Control support team). JSAC is composed ofexperts delegated by JICS, with JICS
involved in fund management.
In addition to the Weapons
Reduction and Development for
Peace Project (collecting arms andcarrying out development programs in regions where arms collection has been completed), JSAC
conducts comprehensive activities
such as promoting mutual trust
between police and citizens, sincelack of trust is responsible for the
spread of small arms, improving
management and registration ofsmall arms in order to prevent illegal distribution by government officials, destroying smallarms that have been turned in, raising public awarenessof the issue, and so on. For example, workshops for teaching citizens about the negative impact of small arms are
conducted at four different levels—provinces, counties,
communes and villages. Creating a flow of educational
activities that goes from the larger community to the individual level helps the idea of peacebuilding penetrateeffectively.
Arms turned in by citizens under the Weapons
Reduction and Development for Peace Project are burnedand destroyed under the direction of the Cambodian government. “Flame of Peace” ceremonies to destroy
weapons have been held so far in Siem Reap and Banteay
Mean Chey provinces, and 3,614 small arms have been
destroyed in this way.

After invasion by the former Soviet Union in 1979,
Afghanistan’s 23-year civil war left the country devastated.
Four million people fled to neighboring countries as
refugees, and another 1.2 million became internally displaced people uprooted from their communities.
Following the fall of the Taliban, a provisional government was installed in December 2001, under the Bonn
Accord process created through support from the international community, which also began providing rehabilitation assistance.
An international conference to support Afghanistan’s
rehabilitation was held in Tokyo in January 2002; it was at
this conference that Japan announced that it would provide a maximum of 500 million US dollars for rehabilitation over two and a half years. Japanese assistance toAfghanistan is taking place under the “Initiative for
Establishing Peace.” This initiative, announced by thenforeign minister Yoriko Kawaguchi in May the same year
when she visited Afghanistan, incorporates three components: promoting the peace process, establishing domestic
stability and public safety, and providing humanitarianand rehabilitation support.
Based on the “Initiative for Establishing Peace,” Japan
has been providing wide-ranging assistance in the areas of
medical care, education, road repairs and construction,
public health and sanitation, maintenance of public safety, and landmine clearing. Japan is also providing various
types of assistance geared to a medium- to long-term timeframe, following emergency assistance offered since theearly stages.
Prompt Action for Medical Care,
Water Supply
JICS was also on the scene early as a procurement agent
for the Afghanistan government, supplying basic medical
equipment and pharmaceuticals to 16 Kabul hospitals in
September 2002. In 2003, JICS also dispatched Afghan
doctors to teach local personnel how to use anesthesiology,
X-ray and other specialized equipment.
Technical support for equipment procured had previously been carried out by suppliers at the time of equipment inspection on site, but many doctors wanted toreceive additional technical support, either because they
had been unable to attend on the designated day, or
because they felt they had not understood very well evenSpecial Feature

JICS Assisting Peacebuilding Activities

Concept Diagram for Peace Establishment

Establishing Peace
Support for establishing peace is based on three components: promoting the peace process, establishingdomestic stability and public safety, and providing humanitarian and rehabilitation support (achieving peace dividends).

Promotingthe peace process•Promoting the peace process
through mediation andintercession•Supporting elections

Establishing domestic
stability and public safety

Providing humanitarianand rehabilitation support•Establishing domestic stability and public
safety through U.N. peace-keeping
operations, etc.
•Establishing a domestic public safety system•Dealing with anti-personnel landmines andunexploded shells•DDR (Disarmament, Demobilization andReintegration)•Supporting the return andresettlement of refugees andinternally displaced persons•Restoring the basic infrastructure

Source: Diplomatic Bluebook 2003

after attending previous support sessions. Meanwhile,other local doctors were able to get the most out of theequipment, so with their cooperation, JICS made arrangements for a second technical support session. The session
was carried out in the local language, which helped participants understand better, and a lively question-andanswer session followed. In their answers to a questionnaire circulated after the session, many participants said
that they had benefited from the training.
JICS intends to carry out detailed follow-ups in this way
in the future, to ensure that procured equipment is usedadvantageously.
In February 2003, JICS supplied medical equipment for
tuberculosis, general medical equipment, audiovisualequipment, fixtures and other items to the National
Tuberculosis Institute (NTI) in Kabul. The Institute wasbuilt in 1970 with grant aid from the Japanese government, but the buildings had been heavily damaged during
the civil war and the Institute had not been functioning
since then. The buildings were repaired through an emergency development study by JICA (Japan International

Cooperation Agency), and theInstitute resumed operation as
Afghanistan’s center for tuberculosis care and research in May 2003.
JICS also acted as procurement
agent for five emergency grant aid
projects (Note) including emergency
procurement of water tank trucks
to provide safe drinking water for
impoverished people, for refugees
returning from outside the country
and for internally displaced persons, providing active support from the early stages of rehabilitation. JICS also
signed a procurement agent contract for non-project grant
aid with the Afghanistan government in January 2003.
This was in conjunction with Japanese government funding of 6 billion yen to Afghanistan, which had financial
difficulties and lacked foreign currency, for the purchaseof equipment needed for education, public health andnutrition, transport, water supply and sanitation and otherelements of the social infrastructure. These sectors weretargeted by the provisional government’s national development framework aimed at strengthening the government’s administrative capabilities and indispensable foradvancing the peace process. JICS is carrying out all stagesof this procurement, beginning with equipment selection.

Sphygmomanometersprocured by emergency
grant aid are soon put
to use.

Note: Emergency Assistance to Afghanistan for Procurement of the
Vehicles for Official Use, Emergency Assistance to Afghanistan for
Medical and Health Care for Afghanistan, Emergency Assistance toAfghanistan for Water Tank Trucks, Emergency Assistance toAfghanistan for Maternity and Child Health Care, and theProgramme for Improvement of the Trunk Road from Kabul
toward Kandahar.
Technical instruction given by a local doctor (left), in front of medical
equipment procured.

9

Part I General Remarks–Main Activities in FY2003

Turkmenistan

Mazar-i-Sharif
Iran

Inventive Plan for Road Repairs
Support for Afghanistan includes many ways in whichassistance has been rendered effectively for a country inurgent need of rehabilitation.
One example is improvement of the trunk road from
Kabul toward Kandahar (Note). In ordinary circumstances,road building is preceded by studies lasting a certain
amount of time. Meanwhile, roads are vital for revitalizing Afghanistan’s economy, and it was urgent to start the
project early. Accordingly, it was decided to provide support
within the scope of the emergency grant aid framework to
start, and a note verbale was exchanged on October 30,
2002. This project was later taken over by the road sector
program grant aid for the Programme for Improvement of
the Trunk Road from Kabul toward Kandahar, for which
an Exchange of Notes was signed on May 4, 2003.
Road sector program grant aid takes into consideration
local conditions under rehabilitation. Project I consistedof paving the road with a medium-duty surface capable oflasting 2-3 years. Paving was done over the relatively shortperiod from May to December, 2003. Project II, pavingwith a surface with a life of 10 years, is planned to startfrom 2004. This is a good example of a two-stage
approach to rehabilitation support, with initial temporary
measures followed by rehabilitation from the long-term
perspective.
Temporary paving was completed in December 2003. A
completion ceremony was held on December 16, attended
by Afghan president Hamid Kharzai, Kinichi Komano,
Japan’s ambassador to Afghanistan, over 60 members of
the Loya Jirga (grand assembly) and many others.
Representing JICS at the ceremony was Vice President
Takeshi Imazu. This road repair project shortened travel
time over this stretch of road from 15 to 5 hours, and it ishoped that the refurbished road will provide a stimulus for

Newly-opened stretch of road between Kandahar and Kabul (photo taken at
the 43 km point from Kabul).

10

Tajikistan

Herat Afghanistan

Kabul

KandaharPakistan

The Trunk Road from Kabul toward Kandahar
The trunk road from Kabul toward Kandahar is part of a great ringroad linking Mazar-i-Sharif, Herat, Kandahar and Kabul, the major
cities of Afghanistan. JICS is handling repairs on a 50-km stretch of
the road starting from Kandahar (part shown in above). The
Great Afghan Ring Road is 2,400 km long and is part of the country’s major road network, along with the east-west highway linking
Kabul and Herat. The ring road not only links up with roads to thenorth and south leading into neighboring countries, it also plays avitally important role in an east-west transport network connecting
the Indian Ocean and Central Asia and the Caspian Sea and East
Asia.

local inhabitants’ social and economic activities.
JICS is involved in road improvement projects studied
and designed by JICA as an agent for the Afghanistan government. Under emergency grant aid, JICS’ main role wasprocurement of equipment such as road repair equipment, asphalt, etc., and groundwork for a plant andsupervision of construction.
Under road sector program grant aid, JICS not only
procured equipment, it also selected and made a contract
with a joint venture construction company carrying out
road repairs. The task of supervising progress of facilities
construction was one that JICS was carrying out for the
first time, but Project I was completed on schedule in
December and JICS will also supervise Project II of laying
down a more durable surface over this stretch of road.
The above example demonstrates that JICS is involved
not only in equipment procurement but has also begun

Afghan President Hamid Kharzai expressing his gratitude to Japan during thecompletion ceremony.

Special Feature

JICS Assisting Peacebuilding Activities

Meanwhile, over 10 million landmines remain buried throughout thecountry, and more than 300 people permonth become victims of landmines.
After the Soviet Union’s withdrawal
from Afghanistan in 1989, the United
Nations established MACA (Mine Action
Center for Afghanistan), which has
been working with 15 NGOs to remove
buried landmines in Afghanistan. At
the Tokyo Conference held in
November 2002, Japan identified demining measures as one of the prime
Construction officials inspecting a proposed roadway site.
areas of support for Afghanistan andcontributed 25 million US dollars tointernationalorganizations.
providing comprehensive support to maximize the effects
Japan and Afghanistan also signed an Exchange ofof assistance.
Notes
for grant aid for research on April 10, 2003. This
Note: At a meeting between Japanese and Afghan leaders in New“Research
Project for Developing Mechanical Demining
York on September 12, 2002, Japan and the United States pledged to
Machines in Afghanistan” grant aid for research is intendassist in improving the trunk road between Kandahar and Kabul.
The U.S. promised to contribute 80 million dollars and Japan 50
ed for research and development into mechanical demimillion dollars, and Saudi Arabia later also agreed to contribute 50
million dollars for road refurbishment on this segment. Japan handled repair work on the first 50 kilometers of the road starting from
Kandahar.

Maintaining Domestic Stability andPublic Safety
In the area of domestic stability and public safety, one of
the three components for establishing peace, JICS has carried out the Project for Improvement of the Equipment for
Afghan Police and the Research Project for Developing
Mechanical Demining Machines in Afghanistan.
The Project for Improvement of the Equipment for
Afghan Police involved creating a police wireless communications system for the Afghanistan police in Kabul andprocuring wireless communications equipment, vehicles
and traffic control equipment for traffic police activities.
In addition to equipment procurement, JICS also
arranged for a Japanese NGO, BHN Association, to provide
training over a two-month period, at police schools andMinistry of the Interior headquarters, to teach users how
to operate the wireless equipment and transfer maintenance skills. This NGO is active in all parts of the world,
dispatching technicians with extensive experience in thefield of telecommunications networks and using that technology to bolster basic human needs, from which thegroup’s name “BHN” is derived. This type of technicalcooperation helps ensure that the equipment procured canbe used effectively and made to last as long as possible.

Afghan officials in Japan receiving a briefing on remote-control operationof mechanical demining equipment from manufacturer’s staff.

Mechanical demining equipment developed based on existing construction
equipment.

11Part I General Remarks–Main Activities in FY2003

ning technology suited to Afghanistan’s natural environment, and JICS entered into an agent contract with an
Afghanistan government organization for this project.
As part of research and development, nine individuals
from four publicly recruited manufacturers took part in afield study from June 22 to July 4, 2003 to acquaint themselves with various conditions in Afghanistan in order todevelop appropriate mechanical demining equipment.
And between November 29 and December 14 the same
year, 11 officials from the Afghanistan transitional government, MACA and demining NGOs came to Japan toattend a final briefing on mechanical demining equipment developed by Japanese manufacturers and observe
product demonstrations. During their two-week stay inJapan, the group visited related domestic organizations
and manufacturers in several locations throughout

the country.
Beginning in December 2003, JICS also recruited additional researchers for developing mine-clearing andmine-detecting equipment. The applications received werereviewed and evaluated by a selection committee consisting of Japanese and Afghan experts. After a field study by
the researchers selected, plans are to carry out local testingof mine-clearing and -detecting equipment after June
2004.
Since demining operations in Afghanistan are currently carried out by hand, complete removal of all landmines
would require huge amounts of time and labor. To
improve safety and efficiency, methods of mechanizing
this work are being investigated, and it is hoped thatJapanese-made mine-clearing and -detecting equipment
will make a contribution in this area.

Letters from Kabul
The local JICS office in Afghanistan opened on
March 20, 2003. Here are a few letters written by
representative Hiroshi Fukasawa in Afghanistan.
June 2003

Open for Operations
Afghanistan was once a thriving way station for the
Silk Road trade. Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan,lies in a valley surrounded by mountains several
thousand meters high. The JICS office in Kabul, on ahill to the west overlooking the city, and with apanoramic view of the surrounding mountains,
opened just a few months ago.
When I arrived in late April, spring snow lingeredon the mountains, which had a silvery sheen in themorning sun. The snow is long gone now, and themountains ringing the city look like huge brownwalls.
As we at the JICS local office begin our work to
assist this country’s rehabilitation and dispense
Japanese ODA, we are aware of our heavy responsibilities. We will work hard and try to make a difference.
November 2003

What “JICS” Means in the Local
Language
The JICS office has been open for nearly seven12months now, and we are making headway with the
projects we are handling. We also have the advantage of name value, given that Dari, the local language, also has a word with the same pronunciation
as JICS that means “fashionable” or “wonderful.” No
wonder JICS is such an easy name for local people toremember!
January 2004

JICS Office Moves to
Residential Area
Our first office in Kabul was located in the Intercontinental Hotel. The hotel was also where I lived andwhere JICS staff traveling on business in Kabul
stayed.
On November 22, shock waves from a bomb detonated on the hotel’s property by suspected Taliban
elements shattered the windows in the office,although neither I nor other JICS personnel were
injured. However, we all sought shelter at the local
Japanese embassy that night.
Following the attack, JICS moved its office to its
present location in December. The new office is a
two-story house in a residential district. Many otherforeign delegations are also in this district, which
has several police checkpoints and is considered relatively safe. But to make doubly sure, we have hired
security guards, deployed watchdogs, installedbarbed wire and night lighting, and applied special
film to the windows to prevent shattering.

Special Feature

JICS Assisting Peacebuilding Activities

Sierra Leone

East Timor

Conflict Prevention in Cooperation
with Britain

Supporting a Newly-independent
Country

Sierra Leone was in a state of civil war for ten years, from1991 to 2000. Working together with the United Nations,the government instituted a plan for disarming, demobilizing and reintegrating soldiers. In January 2002, thepresident of Sierra Leone declared that disarmament had
been completed. However, the country’s principal facilities
and social infrastructure had been destroyed during thewar, and the economy has been limping along due todamaged industry.
On May 5, 2003, JICS concluded an implementation
management contract with NCDDR, the Sierra Leone government’s National Committee for Disarmament,
Demobilization and Reintegration. Under this contract,
JICS is managing funds dispensed by the Japanese government for a social reintegration program (Note) implemented with British support and carrying out a monitoring
study to ensure the project’s appropriateness and transparency. Through its joint participation in this project, theJapanese government is contributing not only to postwar
rehabilitation but also promoting conflict prevention incooperation with Britain.
A local monitoring survey carried out between
September 24 and October 5 ascertained that this project
was being administered effectively in terms of appropriate
fund use and program effectiveness. The survey also determined that local citizens were aware that the projects werebeing carried out with the cooperation of the Japanese
government.

East Timor won independence from Indonesia in May
2002 and is currently engaged in nation-building, working to accomplish two major goals: eliminating poverty inall sectors and regions and promoting fair and sustainableeconomic growth, and improving health, education andother welfare. To this end, specific goals with emphasis on
establishing good governance, developing the social sector, and promoting rural development and the growth ofthe private sector have been set.
But 41% of the population lives in poverty, because ofpoor economic conditions and high unemployment, andimproving the country’s economic structure is an urgent
issue.
Rehabilitation and stability in East Timor, Asia’s newest
country, are vital to the stability of East Asia. The Japanese
government has been extending support in various ways
for the independent rehabilitation of the East Timor government since 1999. At the Donors' Meeting on East Timorin May 2002, the Japanese government pledged a maximum of 60 million dollars over three years for support for
East Timor.
As part of this aid, the Japanese government decided to
implement support through non-project grant aid of 300
million yen. Following the signing of an Exchange ofNotes by the East Timor and Japanese governments in thecapital of Dili on March 7, 2003, a procurement agent
contract was signed between the East Timor government
and JICS on April 4. This was JICS’ first non-project grant
aid procurement agent contract with East Timor. After
studying the matter, the East Timor government decided to
procure petroleum products (light oil), asphalt, cement,
and electric generators. JICS began procuring equipment
after this decision.

Note: program operated by the British government in Sierra Leone.
Its main projects include ascertaining the needs of former soldiers
and war-affected people, effecting reconciliation between former
soldiers and citizens, promoting sustainable development and utilization of agriculture and fisheries, supporting small businesses
and improving the living environment and social infrastructure.
Approximately 20
projects were inspected during the local
monitoring study.
This photo shows awell built at a vocational training
school under one ofthe projects. The wellis used not only by
students and teachers, but also by local
residents.

Container ship transporting petroleum products.

13

Part I General Remarks–Main Activities in FY2003

The Role of JICS in ODA
Working to Promote Grant Aid Projects and Smooth Implementationof Technical Cooperation Projects

curement agency, has built on its experience in equipment
procurement to provide services appropriate for conditions
in developing countries and that truly meet their needs.
JICS will continue to contribute to promoting a highstandard of international cooperation by providing timely
support for appropriate and effective implementation ofassistance. The diagrams below describe the main projects
in which JICS is involved.

The Japanese government provides official development
assistance (ODA) as an important national policy inresponse to the expectations of the international community.
JICS plays an important role in implementing ODA
through various supporting operations, mainly grant aid
projects and technical cooperation projects. Since its
establishment in 1989, JICS, as a fair and impartial pro-Areas handled by JICS

Study of projects, etc.
Grant Aid

Bilateral Grants
Official Development
Assistance (ODA)

Government Loans(yen loans)Technical
Cooperation

Subscriptions andContributions toInternational Organizations

Loan Aid

Procurement management service*
Follow-up
Compilation of equipment technical specifications,procurement and transportation of equipment
Study of projects, etc.

* Through contracts with the developing country’government, JICS manages and supervises the overall tendering process for procuring equipment and services in connection with
grant aid. In some cases, JICS supports the developing country’s government, which implements projects, while in others it acts as the developing country’s agent, handling all
duties, from managing grant aid funds provided to making contracts with equipment suppliers. The latter system is referred to as the procurement agent system and is used for
non-project grant aid, emergency grant aid, and grant aid for conflict prevention and peacebuilding.

Areas Handled by JICS in the Case of Grant Aid Projects
Grant aid for general projects(grant aid for infectious diseases prevention and treatment)

Grant aid for increase offood production (2KR)

Food aid (KR)

Requests for aid from developing countries

Request,confirmation

Project formulation study
Study of new
proposals

Master plan study
Feasibility study

Selection of projects

Preliminary
screening

Screening

Decision to
implement study

Project
formation

Screening

Instruction to
implement service
Decision to implement study

Preparatory study

Support for study
on small-scaleequipment

Basic design study

2KR study support

Final examination by Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Project final
evaluation andapproval

Cabinet decision
Signing of Exchange of Notes

Project implementation

Expediting project
implementation

Procurement
management service

Procurement
management service

Procurement
management service

Advisory services inconnection with the Committee

Advisory services inconnection with the Committee

Completion

Completion

Completion

Operation

Evaluation,
follow-up

14

Start ofprovision

Post-projectmonitoring study

Confirmation study ofconditions forequipment provided

PostTemporary measures
Dispatch of
Follow-up
for equipment andproject
study
supportfacilities provided revitalization experts
evaluation

Grant Aid
Grant aid is a form of assistance whereby funds are provided to a developing country without repayment obligation, for a specific, agreed-upon purpose. Grant aid provides the necessary funds for building schools, hospitals
and other facilities, procuring equipment for education,
training and medical care, assisting rehabilitation after
natural disasters and so on.
JICS is involved in the types of grant aid described
below.
Grant Aid for Infectious Diseases
Prevention and Treatment
Grant aid for infectious diseases prevention and treatment
provides grant aid for vaccines and administration of therapeutic drugs to control various infectious diseases suchas tuberculosis, malaria, AIDS and tetanus which threaten
lives in developing countries.
JICS has been delegated by JICA since 1997 to carry out
studies in Japan and on site concerning equipment needed
Handled by JICS
Non-project grant aid

Cultural grant aid

Screening

Screening

Emergency grant aid

Decision to implement study
Cultural grant aid
equipment study
supportCompletion

Tendering assistanceserviceCompletion

Equipment begins to be used

Dispatch ofevaluation Follow-up
teamGrant Aid for Increase of Food Production(2KR)
Grant aid for increase of food production (2KR) is grant
aid provided for buying agricultural equipment such asmachinery or fertilizer to help increase production of foodcrops (rice, wheat, maize, etc.) in developing countries
where there are food shortages. This grant aid, begun in
1977, is implemented yearly in Asia, Africa, Central andSouth America, Eastern Europe, CIS countries, and others.
Since this grant aid started following food aid (KR), it iscalled 2KR.
JICS has been delegated by JICA since its founding in
1989 to carry out studies in Japan and on site.
Additionally, since FY1997 JICS, in accordance with
contracts with developing countries’ governments, hasbeen serving as a procurement management agent contributing to fair and rapid procurement of agriculturalequipment. It also acts as the secretariat for intergovernmental committees following up on how the equipment
procured was distributed and monitoring accumulation ofcounterpart funds (Note).
Note: The developing countries’ governments set aside local currency funds in a bank, equivalent to a certain amount of the value ofthe equipment procured. After discussions with Japan through its
local embassy or legation, the country can then use the counterpart
funds for projects contributing to economic and social development.

Exchange ofa note verbale
Procurement
agent service

in the field of infectious diseases control. Following thesestudies, JICS then carries out procurement management
based on a contract with the developing country’s government.
Since grant aid for infectious diseases control must be
provided speedily and the validity period of vaccines anddrugs is also limited, project management always
demands swiftness and accuracy. In its role as a procurement management agent, JICS contributes to improving
health and medical care in developing countries.

Procurement
agent service
Completion

Food Aid (KR)Food aid (KR) is grant aid provided to developing countries with food shortages for the purpose of buying rice,wheat, maize or other grains. Based on the food aid rulesof the International Grain Agreement which came into
effect as part of the Kennedy Round (KR) at GATT in 1967,
food aid began in 1968 and is referred to as “KR” because
it came out of the Kennedy Round.
Since FY2001, JICS, in accordance with contracts with
developing countries’ governments, has been serving as aprocurement management agent helping ensure the fair

15

Part I General Remarks–Main Activities in FY2003

and rapid procurement of food. It also acts as the secretariat for intergovernmental committees following up on
how the food procured was distributed and monitoringaccumulation of counterpart funds.
Non-Project Grant Aid
Non-project aid is grant aid intended to provide rapid support to developing countries with economic difficulties
such as growing accumulated debt or a rising international balance of payments deficit, as part of assistance toimprove the country’s economic structure. Since this aid is
not earmarked for specific projects (e.g. building schools,etc.), it is called non-project grant aid.
Since FY1993, JICS, in accordance with contracts with
developing countries’ governments, has been helping procure the necessary equipment, such as raw materials(petroleum products, steel products, paper products, etc.)
needed to improve the country’s economic structure andmachinery (industrial machinery, construction equipment, etc.) required for public works projects.
Grant Aid for Conflict Prevention andPeacebuilding
Grant aid for conflict prevention and peacebuilding has
been provided since FY2002 as a scheme within non-project grant aid. JICS has been delegated with implementation management duties for the first application of thisgrant, in Cambodia. This grant aid provides funds for
procuring the necessary equipment and services for conflict prevention and peacebuilding programs in developing countries which assist reintegration of former soldiers,
help recover small arms, and promote positive relations
among citizens.
Emergency Grant Aid
Emergency grant aid is grant aid provided for emergency
assistance and support as described below.
In accordance with contracts with the governments ofdeveloping countries, JICS manages procurement of food,medical equipment, drugs, vehicles (water tank trucks,
police vehicles, etc.), construction equipment and so on
needed for this grant aid. Depending on circumstances,
JICS also carries out its own monitoring of how the equipment is being used after procurement (see p.18).
(1) Emergency disaster assistance
Support for rehabilitation after natural disasters or manmade disasters such as civil war.
(2) Support for democratization
Support for the establishment of democracy after the collapse of undemocratic regimes or in the aftermath oflong-running civil conflict.

16(3) Assistance for reconstruction and development
Rehabilitation support for smooth implementation of therehabilitation and reconstruction process in countries orareas involved in conflicts. Includes emergency andhumanitarian support for refugees and affected people
before the restoration of peace, and bridge support until
development assistance begins after a certain period after
peace has been restored.
Cultural Grant Aid
This grant aid provides funds for purchasing, transportingand installing various types of equipment used for cultural and educational activities (audiovisual equipment,sound and lighting equipment, research equipment,
sports equipment, Japanese-language education, etc.),with the aim of promoting mutual understanding andfriendship between Japan and developing countries
through support for the development of culture and education.
Delegated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan,
JICS began carrying out preliminary studies both in Japanand on site concerning equipment requested for this grant
aid in FY1993. Since FY1995, in accordance with contracts
with developing countries’ government organizations,
JICS has assisted with tendering (invitation to bid, implementation and evaluation of the tendering process) for
equipment procurement. Additionally, since FY2000, JICS
has been carrying out follow-up activities by procuring
repair parts and dispatching technicians to ensure that theequipment procured is used continuously and effectively.
Through preliminary studies, tendering assistance andfollow-up activities, JICS promotes mutual understanding,cultural exchanges and friendly relations between Japanand countries receiving assistance, and ensures that ODA
is implemented efficiently and effectively.
Grant Aid for ResearchThis grant aid supports research activities into various
problems affecting developing countries, and supports
research and development and commercialization of newtechnologies for products intended for developing countries.
Since FY2001, in accordance with contracts with thegovernments of developing countries, JICS has been managing grant aid provided for research and development
activities into problems in developing countries, and offering coordination and support to ensure that activities
between researchers and manufacturers in Japan anddeveloping countries are carried out smoothly.

Technical Cooperation
The aim of technical cooperation is to pass on Japan’s
skills and knowledge to create human resources that canbe productive for the future, to promote nation-building
in developing countries. Representative projects in thisarea include technical training of participants from developing countries, dispatching experts and volunteers todeveloping countries, technical cooperation projects,
development studies, international emergency assistance,and equipment provision. Equipment provision is a project for providing equipment needed for transferring technology from person to person and constitutes a major
component of technical cooperation.
Since its establishment in 1989, JICS has been delegated by JICA to handle equipment provision. JICS assists by
writing out technical specifications necessary for equipment procurement, selecting suppliers through tendering,etc., handling equipment transportation and other procurement-related duties, providing information about
equipment, etc., and carrying out various studies in Japanand abroad.

Yen Loans
Yen loans, also referred to as loan aid, are long-term, lowinterest loans of development funds to developing countries through the Japan Bank for International
Cooperation (JBIC). In FY2003, JICS, delegated by JBIC,
carried out studies aimed at improving the implementation system for yen loan projects.

Follow-up Activities
JICS undertakes the following follow-up activities, toensure that equipment procured with ODA funds is being
used effectively.
Follow-up Studies
Once cooperation in developing countries has been completed, various projects are maintained and operated by
the developing countries themselves. However, project
implementation is sometimes hampered by equipment
breakdowns or lack of funds. To help in this situation,
JICA carries out follow-up cooperation as needed, providing support to ensure that the effects of support to developing countries can be sustained.
JICS, delegated by JICA, carries out follow-up studies toascertain the current condition of facilities and equipment, parts needed for repairs and so on, to ensure thatfacilities built and equipment procured using grant aid

can be used continuously and effectively. JICS also carries
out follow-up studies and equipment maintenance andmanagement studies for equipment procured throughtechnical cooperation.
Operation of the Technical Information
CenterTo remedy the shortage of technical information requiredfor operating and maintaining medical equipment procured to developing countries through grant aid, JICS has
established an information center in cooperation with
Overseas Medical Equipment Technical Assistants(OMETA), to provide one-stop access for staff in charge at
local medical institutions.
Support for Database Creation
Delegated by JICA, JICS is carrying out various basic studies concerning grant aid. It is also providing support forbuilding a database related to grant aid and technicalcooperation.

NGO-related Projects
JICS supports NGO activities from several different perspectives.
Support for Non-Governmental
Organizations
As one of JICS’ own projects, support for NGOs began in
FY1999. Under this project, JICS provides funding of a
maximum of one million yen per year per NGO to relatively small Japanese NGOs to support their activities. This
funding is made available to approximately ten NGOs per
year.
Grant Aid for Japanese NGO Projects
Grant aid for Japanese NGO projects is grant aid provided
for economic and social development or emergency
humanitarian support projects by Japanese NGOs in developing countries.
Delegated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan,
JICS has been carrying out preliminary studies forJapanese NGO grant aid since FY2003. These preliminary
studies are intended to evaluate the goals, content, andappropriateness of size and funding required for proposal
applications submitted by NGOs. If necessary, local studies
are also conducted. Through this activity, JICS contributes
to strengthening the partnership between the Japanese
government and NGOs and to the further development of
NGO activities.

17

Part I General Remarks–Main Activities in FY2003

18

More Countries Receiving Assistance ina Wide Variety of Projects
China
Measures for Preventing
Reoccurrence of SARSBy May 2003, six months after it had first surfaced in
China’s Guangdong Province the preceding November, it
was reported that Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome(SARS) had infected 5,124 persons and killed 267, andthere were strong concerns that the disease would spread
more widely. In response to a request by the Chinese government, which was doing all it could to prevent more
SARS contagion, the Japanese government decided on May
16 to implement 1.5 billion yen in emergency grant aid.
Following this, Lu Shu Yun, Minister-Counselor at the
Chinese embassy in Tokyo, and Takeshi Imazu, JICS vicepresident, signed a procurement agent contract, and JICS
immediately beganprocurement operations at China’s
request. In the onemonth period toJune 20, when procurement operations
ended, JICS had procured 14 types of
medical equipment,
Signing of the procurement agent conincluding protective
tract on May 16.
items, sterilizing
equipment, mobile X-ray equipment, artificial respirationequipment, and ICU monitor sets. The first shipment ofprotective items and medical equipment (valued at 170
million yen) reached Beijing on May 29, followed by fivedeliveries in June, five in July, and the last delivery of procured equipment taking place on August 7.
On September 5, JICS received a delegation from
China’s Ministry of Commerce, headed by Wang Xing Gen,
Deputy Director of the Department of International Tradeand Economic Affairs, who expressed China’s thanks for
the Japanese government’s emergency grant aid and for
rapid and reliable procurement carried out by JICS.
In October, the first JICS monitoring team, headed byvice president Imazu, was dispatched to China to check ondeliveries and distribution of the procured equipment. The
team visited medical facilities in Beijing, Tianjin,
Shijiazhuang, Baoding and Tangshan, and carried out astudy on distribution and use of the procured equipment
through meetings with officials from the Ministry of

JICS staff carrying out a preshipment
inspection at awarehousenear Narita
Airport.

Health, provincial and municipal health authorities andhospitals.
The equipment procured had been distributed to hospitals and public health centers in 19 provinces, three
directly-controlled municipalities and four autonomous
regions, in accordance with plans by Chinese officials. The
equipment was used to diagnose and treat SARS, and formeasures, now being implemented throughout China, toprevent the reoccurrence of SARS.
Artificial respiration equipment

Defibrillator

Mobile X-ray equipment

Ethiopia
Food Aid Quickly Supplied toDrought-stricken Residents
Grain harvests in Ethiopia were severely affected by widespread drought in FY2002 and required 1.7 million tons ofemergency food aid in FY2003. In view of the serious situation, the Japanese government decided on early implementation of food aid (KR) for Ethiopia.
On March 4, 2003, the date the Exchange of Notes
between Japan and Ethiopia was signed, JICS dispatchedstaff to Ethiopia, who signed a procurement management
contract with the Ministry of Finance and Economic
Development (MoFED), the Ethiopian government agency
handling international aid, the following day. After consultations with the Disaster Prevention and Preparedness
Commission (DPPC), which would be in charge of implementing the aid, conditions for procurement of the foodrequested (in this case, wheat) were decided on. Because
the cargo was foodstuffs, it was necessary to establish procurement conditions that emphasized speed and thatwould keep damage to the shipments to a minimum.
After JICS staff returned to Japan and the necessary procedures were completed, tendering was conducted inJapan on April 14 to select and make a contract with asupplier. JICS staff kept in close touch with the supplierand DPPC, monitoring transport to ensure that the shipments were safely delivered and arrived in Ethiopia ontime.
The wheat, which had arrived at two central warehouses in Ethiopia by June 25, was transported to DPPC regional warehouses in drought-stricken areas without delay, in
accordance with distribution plans drawn up by DPPC andothers. By August, it was confirmed that all the wheat
delivered had been distributed to end users.
Distribution was completed in the short span of fourmonths from the time the Exchange of Notes was signed.
This was accomplished thanks to good teamwork, theshared awareness that it was vital to deliver aid to the people affected before food shortages became most acute (therainy season, which is usually in July and August), andbecause DPPC was able to get the food aid from central
warehouses to end users within approximately one month.
At an intergovernmental committee meeting held in
Ethiopia on January 21, 2004, attended by MoFED, DPPC
and Ethiopian government ministries, and by representatives from the Japanese embassy in Ethiopia, with staff

from the JICA Ethiopia office on hand as observers, theEthiopian side provided a detailed description of how thewheat was distributed within the country, and where andto whom it went.
Committees provide an opportunity for officials fromthe respective countries’ governments to meet and verify
how the aid was distributed within the recipient country,
ensuring that assistance is rendered in the most transparent and efficient way and that it meets local needs. JICS
played a role as the secretariat at the committee stage bycoordinating schedules prior to the meeting and helping
chair the proceedings.
Ethiopian aid officials reported that the wheat provided
by Japan had reached a cumulative total of 2,685,313 people in the target regions, equivalent to 12.5 kg of wheat
per person, distributed free of charge. They thanked Japanagain for its help and expressed the hope that Japan would
continue to extend cooperation.

Unloading the wheat on arrival in Ethiopia.

19

Part I General Remarks–Main Activities in FY2003

20

Tanzania
Cooperation for HIV/AIDS Control

With HIV prevalence in Tanzania increasing rapidly, thegovernment of Tanzania designated HIV/AIDS a national
priority in 1985 and instituted measures to deal with the
problem. In 2002, the government formulated the “Health
Sector HIV/AIDS Strategy for Tanzania 2003-2006.”
Meanwhile, implementation of the Expanded Program on
Immunization (EPI) necessitated replacement of cold
chain equipment or conversion to new gas-powered refrigerators.
The Tanzanian government requested Japan’s grant
aid for the equipment needed for these programs.
Following the Exchange of Notes concerning the Projectfor Infectious Diseases Control (Phase I) between the two
governments on July 9, 2002, JICS signed the agreement
regarding consulting services on the Project with the
Tanzanian government on August 7. As the final stage ofconsulting services, JICS staff inspected the procured
equipment on site from the end of May to early June 2003.
The equipment which was inspected included HIV
rapid test kits and syphilis test kits, equipment for laboratories, equipment for prevention of secondary infections,drugs for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), gas-powered refrigerators, thermometers and other cold chain
equipment, vehicles for monitoring, computers for data
management and others. JICS staff also discussed a distribution plan for the equipment with the Ministry of Health,and also had discussions with the Ministry of Finance andthe Tanzania Revenue Authority to arrange smooth tax
exemption and customs clearance of the equipment deliveries.
Following the Project (Phase I), an Exchange of Notes
concerning the Project for
Infectious Diseases
Control (Phase II)
between the two governments was signed on July29, 2003, and JICS signed
the agreement regarding
consulting services on the
Project with the
Tanzanian government
4WD vehicle used for EPI monitoringon August 4. Tenders wereand surveillance activities.
opened on October 7 andInside MSD (Medical Stores Department). Most equipment procured isstored here temporarily before being distributed to its final destinations
according to the plan of the Ministry of Health.

suppliers were selected.
Since European-made equipment and drugs are often
procured under grant aid for infectious diseases control,
JICS staff stopped over in Europe on their way to and fromequipment inspections in Tanzania to visit manufacturersof HIV test kits and drugs in the Netherlands, Germany,
Denmark and elsewhere in Europe. This gave us an
opportunity to explain the Japanese grant aid system andto discuss transportation methods, product specifications
and so on with our European counterparts, to promote
understanding of grant aid for infectious diseases control
carried out by the Japanese government. We also discussed
how to communicate with the various European companies, in order to implement projects effectively and efficiently.

Equipment inspection by JICS staff.

Senegal
Support for Textbooks Provided for the First Time,to Improve the Quality of Elementary Education
The Senegalese government formulated a 10-year plan
aiming for an elementary school enrollment rate of 100%by 2010. As part of its efforts to improve the elementary
school environment, the government also set out “Le
Projet de Fourniture des Manuels et des Equipements
Scolaires pour les Apprentissages (The Project for
Provision of Textbooks and School Equipment forStudents).”
The Japanese government has been providing grant aid
since FY1991 for the construction of elementary schoolclassrooms, but Senegal is still behind as far as teachingmaterials and other ‘soft’ infrastructure are concerned.
Accordingly, Senegal requested grant aid for procuring
textbooks and educational equipment needed in order toimplement its plans from the Japanese government.
This project is JICS’ first grant aid for child welfare (Note)in the educational field. It is hoped that the synergistic
effect of supporting elementary education through physical infrastructure and textbooks, teaching supplies andequipment will contribute to improving the quality ofeducation in Senegal.

On November 15, 2002, JICS signed a procurement
management agreement for the above plans with
Senegal’s Ministry of Education and procured textbooks
and other materials.
At the handover ceremony on October 1, 2003, children
expressed their thanks through songs and dances, and theevent was reported as top news in the local national newspaper. This was the first time that the Senegal government
had received such extensive assistance for textbooks andequipment, and the Education Ministry and educators
were very pleased.
Note: In FY2000, the Japanese government broadened grant aid forchild health into grant aid forchild welfare, taking into consideration primary education andthe role of mothers in children’s sound development.

Textbooks contain information about Japan. JICS was involved in textbook editing, in order to stimulate familiarity with and interest in Japan.

21

Part I General Remarks–Main Activities in FY2003

Nepal

JordanFirst Procurement Agent Contract for
Non-Project Aid

Six Billion Yen Provided to Support
Countries Neighboring Iraq

An Exchange of Notes providing 1.3 billion yen in nonproject grant aid was signed between the governments ofJapan and Nepal on November 8, 2002. In December thatyear, JICS dispatched a study team to Nepal to explain the
non-project aid scheme; a procurement agent contract
between JICS and Nepal’s Ministry of Finance was signedon December 7.
Although Japan is a leading donor whose aid accounts
for 30-40 percent of all bilateral aid to Nepal, this was thefirst time that non-project grant aid was implemented. For
this reason, there was strong interest within Nepal’s
Ministry of Finance, the scheme’s implementing body. The
briefing JICS held on non-project grant aid at the ministry, using a projector, attracted approximately 20 people,
from vice-ministers to officials coordinating internationalaid.
In October 2003, an intergovernmental committee
composed of Nepal Ministry of Finance and Japanese
embassy representatives was held, which JICS attended as
an observer. The committee selected end users and confirmed distribution of funds to end users and distributionof procured items and funds.
Based on the results of this committee, another JICS
study group was dispatched in December 2003 which held
meetings to iron out the details concerning tendering andprocurement conditions.

On April 6, 2003, an
Exchange of Notes
for non-project
grant aid to Jordan
was signed. Thiswas followed by thesigning of a procurement agent
contract between
Bassem Awadallah,
Jordan’s planningminister, andHiroyuki Arai, secretary general of JICS,
A flour mill on the outskirts of Amman.
in the presence of(Top) A grain silo.
Japanese ambassa- (Bottom) The control panel inside theflour milling facility.
dor to Jordan Koichi
Obata.
This is the eighth time that the Japanese government
implements non-project grant aid to Jordan, contributing
6 billion yen in support because Jordan, which is locatednext to Iraq, has been affected by the Iraq War.
Funds contributed this time will be used to procure
wheat for the Jordanian people. Jordan depends onimports for most of its food, and since it has only limited
capacity to earn foreign currency through tourism andother sources due to the Iraq War, it is hoped that thisgrant aid will help improve the country’s financial situation.

A liquid nitrogen generator used for preserving bull semen, installed at the
National Animal Breeding Center in the regional city of Pokhara.

22

Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan

Cultural Grant Aid for the Uzbek
State Conservatory

Protecting the Silk Road’s Cultural
Heritage

JICS, delegated by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
conducted a study on musical instruments and audio
equipment requested for the Uzbek State Conservatory in
February 2002.
The Uzbek State Conservatory, founded in 1936, isCentral Asia’s oldest and largest music school. In addition
to providing musical education, the Conservatory has
played an important role in promoting music in
Uzbekistan, holding various types of concerts in theConservatory’s 300-seat auditorium and a 900-seat theater
outside the Conservatory. The Conservatory also actively
conducts musical and cultural exchanges, for example
inviting Japanese violinist Mariko Senju to give musicclasses.
The Uzbekistan government is short of funds andrequested cultural grant aid from the Japanese government to purchase new musical instruments and audio
equipment essential for the Conservatory’s activities.
Delegated by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, JICS
conducted a local study, including meetings with officialsof the Conservatory to determine the appropriateness ofthe equipment request and investigate management of theequipment, including location of installation, compatibility with other equipment, servicing system and the need todispatch installation technicians.
Based on the results of this study, the Japanese andUzbekistan governments signed an Exchange of Notes
concerning implementation of this cultural grant aid on
December 9, 2002. Afterwards, JICS continued to assist
with tendering, including announcing tenders, preparing
tender documents, opening tenders and evaluating tendered bids regarding procurement of the musical instruments and audio equipment through grant aid.

On January 28, 2003, an
Exchange of Notes concerning
the Project for Improvementof Equipment for Preservationof Cultural Heritage in Khiva,
Bukhara, Shakhrisabz,
Samarkand and Other Areas
was signed. On March 14, JICS
signed a procurement management contract with the
Restoration work at Ak-Saray
Uzbekistan Ministry of
Palace, Shakhrisabz.
Culture.
Uzbekistan is a focal point of the Silk Road and has
four World Heritage sites, the largest number in Central
Asia. However, many of these sites are in danger of collapse, and the aim of the Project is to procure equipment
to assist preservation and restoration activities and contribute to preserving this valuable cultural legacy.
Tender opening took place in Japan on June 2, 2003 toselect the supplier,and surveying
equipment, boom
lifts, craneequipped trucks
and other equipment were handed
over to the
Uzbekistan government.

At the Uzbek State Conservatory (photo shows a piano already at theConservatory).

Tiles at Registan Square in Samarkand.

A training session conducted using procured equipment.

23

Part I General Remarks–Main Activities in FY2003

24

Indonesia

EcuadorSupport for Research in Preparation
for Decentralization

Preservation of the Galapagos
Ecosystem

Grant aid for research supports research activities into various problems such as economic difficulties and otherissues affecting developing countries, and supports
research and development and commercialization of newtechnologies for products intended for developing countries.
Following the collapse of the Suharto regime in 1998,
Indonesia has adopted a decentralization policy, which isalso an important issue from the viewpoint of remaining anation. This grant aid for research supports research activities by Japanese and Indonesian researchers intended toformulate recommendations concerning Indonesia’s
decentralization policies.
In accordance with a contract for operation management duties between JICS and the Indonesian government’s National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS) signed on March 14, 2003, JICS is supporting theoperation of this project as an implementation agency.
The most important event of this research project activity was the “Exit Symposium” held in Jakarta on
September 4 and 5, 2003, which included officials fromthe central (Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Finance,
National Development Planning Agency, etc.) and local
governments and staff from the Japanese embassy inIndonesia, JICA, JBIC and international organizations asparticipants. At the symposium, Japanese and Indonesian
researchers described the results of their joint research andthere was lively discussion among participants concerning
decentralization issues in Indonesia.
The research team of Indonesian and Japanese
researchers made their recommendations, which reflecteddiscussions at the symposium, to the Indonesian government in February 2004. As the closing event of theresearch activities, “Exit Workshops” were also held inthree locations in Indonesia at around the same time. At
these workshops, researchers described their findings concerning decentralization in simple terms to local government staff. Local government staff also had a chance todescribe the problems they faced in the field, which
researchers commented on and which allowed them tolearn about new problems.

The Galapagos
Islands, locatedin the Pacific
Ocean off thecoast of Ecuador,
are known for
their precious
ecosystem andthe presence ofWhat the Visitor Center will look like when
unknown plants completed.
and animals.
World-wide interest is focused on preserving this site. In
the interests of environmental preservation, JICA has dispatched four study teams to Galapagos to conduct studies
on preservation of the Galapagos ecosystem.
Following these studies, JICA decided to implement atechnical cooperation project to preserve the waters
around the islands. The project involves installing atelecommunications network and monitoring system for
maritime preservation that will facilitate field studies on
the ecosystem and tourism and providing equipment for
using a database. Construction of a visitor center, researchfacilities for providing environment education to island
residents and travelers to the islands, and carrying out
environment education activities for children, is alsoplanned.
Prior to implementing this project, JICA dispatched astudy team to Galapagos in August 2003 for purposes offinal confirmation of the project implementation system
between the Direction of the Galapagos National Park andthe Charles Darwin Research Station. A JICS staffer withexpertise in construction was a member of the team. In
addition to verifying specifications and equipment which
had been requested, this staffer also inspected several
potential sites and selected a construction site, and visited
similar facilities such as a Visitor Center built with thecooperation of the Spanish government, to check how
existing facilities and equipment were being used. He also
carried out a study of construction companies to learn
about building conditions as well as prices and procurement methods for construction equipment and materials,
and was involved in the creation of a basic design for thefacility (see above).

Grant Aid forJapanese NGO Projects

Support for NonGovernmental Organizations

Study Operations Delegated

JICS’ Own Cooperation

Grant aid for Japanese NGO projects refers to grant aid
through which the Japanese government provides funds
for economic and social development and emergency
humanitarian support projects carried out by JapaneseNGOs in developing countries. This grant aid was createdby combining two programs: support for Japanese NGOs
through grant assistance for grassroots projects, andgrants for supporting NGO emergency activities, initiatedin FY2002 in support of Japanese NGOs.
This aid takes the specific forms described below:
1) Support for economic and social development cooperation projects that have a direct effect at the grassrootslevel2) Support for NGO partnership projects in which
Japanese NGOs implement development cooperation
activities together with other Japanese or foreign NGOs
3) Grant aid for NGO emergency humanitarian assistanceprojects
4) Assistance with transportation costs for recycled goods5) Micro-credit capital assistance6) Assistance for anti-personnel landmine-related activities
In FY2003, JICS was delegated to carry out studies
relating to applications and implementation of this grant
aid. Studies of application proposals involve studying
applications submitted by NGOs and determining whether
plan contents, equipment and facilities, and prices forequipment and facilities, are appropriate. In the case of
projects currently being implemented or completed, JICS
carried out field studies, as necessary, to verify matchingwith the plan and how the project is being or was executed.
In FY2003, JICS handled studies in Japan for 64 cases(including repeat studies), as well as three field studies, in
Afghanistan, Sri Lanka andThailand. For the projects
in Sri Lanka and Thailand,studies were carried out tocheck plan contents, implementation system andprogress of mine-clearing
projects implemented byField study for the Thai landNGOs.
mine-clearing project.

To commemorate its tenth anniversary, JICS began supporting NGOs in FY1999. This project aims to support
Japanese NGOs carrying out aid activities in developing
countries, to contribute to the further growth of joint public-private international cooperation activities.
In FY2003, the fifth year of this project, JICS offered amaximum of one million yen per proposal to JapaneseNGOs for purchasing and transporting equipment needed
for their activities, and for operating expenses for fieldprojects and administrative offices. This support for NGOs
was announced on the JICS website, international cooperation journals and other pertinent media in September,
and JICS received applications from many groups by thedeadline at the end of October.
These applications were evaluated and recipientsselected by a support for non-governmental organizations
examining committee, which also included outside
experts. The 11 groups listed below were selected to receive
support. JICS will monitor these groups’ activities, receiving regular reports from them on how its support forNGOs is being implemented.
Name of Group

TargetCountry
RwandaDescription of Project

Program offering women who lost husbands or families in civil strife vocational training
at vocational training centers or micro-credit, to help them become economicallyindependent
Providing used fire-fighting vehicles donated in Japan to Sri Lanka, which has a
Sri Lanka
shortage of fire-fighting vehicles and ambulances
Bangladesh Offers scholarship assistance for 25 children belonging to the Hindu minority in thatcountry who are hoping to attend public schools
NGOs get together to hold the Hokkaido International Cooperation Festa and report on
Japan
Hokkaido NGO
their activities, in order to give Hokkaido residents a better understanding of
Network
international cooperation
Dispatched technical experts to teach local people how to make cheese for sale to foreign
The Institute for Nepal
tourists in order to earn cash, and refurbished a refrigerated storage area so that it could
Himalaya Conserbe maintained and used to store cheese
vation (NPO)InterBand (NPO) Cambodia Provides funds for family support and offers guidance for establishing small familybusinesses to demobilized soldiers and their families; has also established a scholarshipfund for children, to help them become independent
Japan Overseas Cooperative Republic of Teaches local residents orchid cultivation skills at an orchid protection center established
Association/Old Volunteers Panama
with grant assistance for grassroots projects, to protect endangered species of wildof Panama (JOCV/OVOP)
orchids
Provides visiting health care for disabled persons in many regions of the country affected
RwandaMulindi Japanby the civil war in 1994, and makes and distributes prosthetic appliances on location
One Love Project
Improved the facilities at the library room for children aged 13-16 in the Lado Asatiani
Georgia
Nomad
State Children’s Library and donated 600 Georgian-language books in an attempt toInternational
increase the number of users(NPO)
Provides used Japanese bicycles to children living far away from schools who would
The Society for Education Sup- Sri Lanka
otherwise be unable to attend
port for Srilankan Children
Philippines Built a simplified water supply system to provide a stable water supply and ensure
Tanba Green
sanitary conditions in villages devastated by the Mt. Pinatubo eruption, and willForce
endeavor to install a tap water system equipped with filtration equipment
AfricaReconciliation
Committee: ARC
Aizu SakuraLanka Kai
Bondoo Tokachi

JICS Support for NGOs
Projects in FY2003 (in alphabetical order)

25

Part I General Remarks–Main Activities in FY2003

Reforms for Appropriate and Effective
Implementation of Operations
At the second Board of Trustees/Board of Directors meetingfor FY2002 held on March 19, 2003, the FY2003 policy for
implementation of operations was approved. This policy
states that “to minimize the impact of reductions in the
ODA budget, JICS should endeavor to develop new projects,
and in the light of debate concerning reform of publicservice corporations, take action to streamline its organization and reduce expenses and make renewed efforts tocreate a system for improved reliability and rapid and efficient implementation of its operations.” It was also decided to move the JICS office to a different location, becauseof the end of the lease term and to cut down on expenses.
In accordance with this policy, JICS began taking
measures to improve its operations, including changing
its internal organization, taking the first step by moving
its office to new quarters on April 28, 2003.

President Yutaka Nomura describing JICS’ current situation at the Board ofTrustees meeting.

Moves to Reorganization
Integration within the Grant Aid
Management Department
Coinciding with the move to a new office, the implementation system for operations was reevaluated, and on May
1, 2003, three divisions within the Grant Aid Management
Department—the First Division for Increase of Food
Production, the Second Division for Increase of Food
Production, and the Non-project Grant Aid Division—
were incorporated into a new Procurement Management
Division in the same department.
Establishment of the Office ofManagement Audit
With funding for ODA becoming scarcer every year, one of
the concrete measures related to ODA reform adopted by theJapanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been a stricter oversight policy. JICS, which assists in the ODA program, is alsoa target of this policy, thus necessitating even more strin-

26

gent efforts to ensure that operations are sound and appropriate. Accordingly, the Office of Management Audit wasestablished on May 1, 2003 to carry out internal audits.
The role of internal audits is to support managementof the organization and work effectively for overall
improvement, by thoroughly evaluating operations, bringing up problems if they exist and requiring improvements.
The Office of Management Audit examines the entire
organization, necessitating that it be independent fromvarious departments, and accordingly it is under the direct
authority of the vice president.
Internal auditing will fulfill its role by following up on
verification of the soundness and appropriateness of operations, identification of problems and the improvement
process. In detail, the basics of internal auditing involve
interview hearings and document checks to identify problems and to discover the source of those problems.
Auditing will be carried out in the areas of compliance,
management and supervision of duties, clerical affairs
management, contract management, income and expenditure management, personnel affairs management andinformation management.
New Internal Structure
The JICS organizational structure was revamped on
October 1 in the ways described below in order to achieve
the aims stated here.
Aims
i. To devise a medium- to long-term management strategy and reinforce the organization in its endeavors
regarding new projects, in order to better respond to
new developments in Japan’s ODA
ii. To reform personnel and other systems to create a new
structure capable of dealing with immediate management issues
iii. To create an organizational structure allowing theflexible use of personnel in order to respond tochanges in the project environment
Highlights of organizational reformi. The functions of the General Affairs Division were
strengthened and responsibilities for operations related
to new projects were shifted to other divisions following phasing out of the Planning & Development
Division
ii. The Office of Personnel Affairs was established, andreforms in procurement operations were promoted by
the Senior Coordinator in charge of contract examinationiii. The overall organizational structure was simplified

Establishment of an Office of Personnel
Affairs
In conjunction with internal reorganization on October 1,
a new Office of Personnel Affairs, which will handle personnel matters, was established. The General Affairs
Division had previously handled personnel and laboradministration matters while the Finance and Accounting
Division was in charge of salaries, but to improve administrative efficiency, the Office of Personnel Affairs was created to establish a clear separation between the operational departments and the personnel administration
department.
The new Office of Personnel Affairs will handle duties
related to JICS human resources—personnel management, training, salaries, welfare, labor administration andso on. One important duty of this office will be to smoothly implement the new personnel and salary system
planned for April 2004.

Advisory Council on Management
Formulating the JICS Vision
The Advisory Council on Management was formed in
March 2003 to formulate a future vision for JICS and
identify current issues which JICS should address.
Opinions have been actively exchanged each time theCouncil, which serves as a forum for JICS staffers to present their views, has met. Following various discussions,
the JICS Vision (see p. 2), the priority issue since theCouncil’s formation, was decided on at the ninth meetingof the Council, in October 2003.
This Vision presents a clear picture, to JICS staff members and outside parties, of the direction in which JICS
should proceed. From now on, JICS will carry out its activities and work toward making this Vision a reality.
The Council’s three committees—for procurement
method improvement, accounts structure improvement,
and public relations strategies—also presented their final
recommendations at this time.
The procurement method improvement committee
drew up a draft of JICS’ own procurement guidelines
which will constitute the basic framework for JICS procurement activities. The final version of the guidelines will
be publicly announced after coordination with the concerned domestic organizations.
The accounts structure improvement committee
stressed the importance of getting a more accurate understanding of the income and expenditures structure inorder to manage operations budgets more appropriately
and effectively. The committee’s report highlighted theneed for analyzing revenues and expenditures from different perspectives, for example by operation or on a perproject basis, in addition to the usual department/division-based accounts management.
The public relations strategies committee presented
various recommendations concerning steps that JICS
should take to communicate information more actively.
In order to implement these recommendations, taskforces will be set up that will take action toward making
reforms in various areas.
Tackling New Issues
Based on discussions leading up to formulating the JICS
Vision at the October 2003 meeting of the Advisory Council
on Management, various topics taken up at earlier meetings were reviewed and it was decided to continue discussions concerning accounts structure improvement andother issues, as well as to study new issues, under the
structure described below.
With the outline of the new personnel system planned
to start from April 2004 now finalized, employees will bebriefed on the system and training sessions for personnel
evaluators will be held. General policies concerning
broader use of information systems were decided and it
was confirmed that the General Affairs Division would
begin systems development work and related tasks.
New issues which will be discussed include reviewing
the operations implementation system and what to doabout overseas bases, topics which will be taken up by therespective committees. The Advisory Council on Management will carry out concentrated discussions for drawing
up a JICS medium-term plan.
Correlation Chart of the Advisory Council
on Management and its Committees
Operational Framework of the JICS Advisory Council on Management (as of February 2004)

Advisory Council on Management

Work Implementation System
Committee
Committee for Study of
the Personnel System
Accounts Structure Improvement
Committee Phase 2
Committee for Study ofOverseas Bases

Note 1: The General Affairs Division, acting as the secretariat, will submit a draft proposal for the medium-termplan to the Advisory Council on Management.
2: Preparation of manuals, etc. will be the responsibility of individual departments or divisions.

27Part I General Remarks–Main Activities in FY2003

JICS—Active in Many Areas

Third Tokyo International
Conference on African
Development

Support for Non-governmental Organizations program,directed at officials from NGOs.

JICS Co-exhibitor as Non-project Grant Aid
Procurement Agent
The Third Tokyo International Conference on African
Development (TICAD III) took place in Tokyo from
September 29 to October 1, 2003. JICS, in its capacity ofprocurement agent for Japanese government non-project
grant aid, was an exhibitor at a booth together with
British procurement agent Crown Agents and the United
Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) at a side event
held at this conference.
The booth described the non-project grant aid system,
past projects handled, and the role of procurement agents.
There was also a panel display of various projects implemented in Africa and other parts of the world and ademonstration on a personal computer. The booth attracted many visitors from the Japanese and foreign governments, NGOs, media organizations and universities.

Discussion Forum with Non-governmental Organizations
NGO Officials Invited
Officials from NGOs supported by JICS in FY2001 andFY2002 were invited to a discussion forum on October 28,
2003. This forum, which takes place annually, was held tohear about the activities of each NGO’s program receiving
JICS support and to give participants a chance toexchange views.
In addition to NGO officials, the forum was attended by
Takuo Kidokoro, Director of the Japanese Ministry ofForeign Affairs’ Non-Governmental Organizations
Assistance Division, Toshihiro Obata, Director of JICA’s
Domestic Partnership Promotion Division and Tadashi
Yamazaki, Managing Director of the Japan NGO Center forInternational Cooperation (JANIC). Participants discussed
how cooperation could best be established among various
types of international cooperation, and how they could all
work together to make the best contribution possible.

JICS Welcomes Sayama Chuo
Junior High School Students

Staff member describing JICS activities.

International Cooperation
Festival 2003
Targeting Topics to Promote JICS
An International Cooperation Festival was held October 45, 2003 at Hibiya Park in Tokyo. JICS participated in thisevent with a booth consisting ofdisplay panels on four topics: The
Role of JICS in ODA, Cambodia
Small Arms Retrieval Project,
Emergency Grant Aid to China for
SARS, and Peacebuilding in
Afghanistan. The booth also presented information about JICS’28

Integrated Studies Topic: International
Cooperation
On November 19, 2003, a group of 15 Sayama Municipal
Chuo Junior High School (Saitama prefecture) students
studying international cooperation activities visited JICS.
They heard a lecture about ODA and JICS, with rehabilitation support in Afghanistan given as an example. The students were curious to learn about the lives of children in
Afghanistan and they asked many questions from a different perspective, refreshing theapproach of
JICS staff totheir projects.

A JICS staff member describing Afghanistan rehabilitation support activities