ODA Manifesto
By the Group for Renovating Japanese ODA—

30

Proposals for Enhanced International Cooperation—
October 2007

CONTENTS

IN PREPARING THE MANIFESTOiOVERVIEW OF THE “30 PROPOSALS”

iii

FOREWORD

ix

1.

Clarify the vision and strategies

12.

Satisfy the needs of developing countries and strengthen

3

the field-level functions of ODA implementation
3.

Lead the global development trends

5

4.

Promote the understanding and participation of citizens

7

5.

Restructure and strengthen the system for ODA policy implementation

9

6.

Reform and improve the administrative systems and procedures

117.

Increase the ODA budget and reform its funding mechanisms

13

8.

Develop international cooperation-related career paths and improve15

the human resources development system
9.

Enhance collaboration with the private sector and form

17

public-private alliances
10. Clarify the vision and sharpen the focus of Japan’s aid to Africa

MANIFESTO AT A GLANCE

19

IN PREPARING THE MANIFESTO
We are a group of professionals who gathered voluntarily in a personal capacity, sharing a
sense of crisis in the current state of Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA).
Brought together by our deep concern, we met almost spontaneously and intensively
discussed how to renovate Japan’s ODA in the immediate future. We are a
multi-stakeholder group of professionals from diverse backgrounds, including politics,
media, business, NGOs, academia, government, and aid implementing agencies; we all
have long practiced or observed Japanese ODA in the field or as citizens. We have frankly
discussed what is wrong with the Japanese ODA, what should be improved, and what
actions should be taken with a common awareness of the issue.

The group met twelve times between July 2006 and October 2007, and on the basis of the
discussions, we formulated a set of specific policy proposals (this Manifesto). We now wish
to present this Manifesto to many citizens interested in ODA, as well as related parties in
the legislative and executive branches of the Government, and act to renovate Japan’s
ODA.

This Manifesto summarizes the majority of opinions (the most commonly expressed
opinions) of the participants on the issues raised by representatives of aid stakeholders in
the meetings. A total of more than 120 members (17 from the political circle, 11 from themedia, 5 from the business circle, 13 from NGOs, 14 academics, 28 from government
ministries, and 37 from implementing agencies) have taken part in the discussions. The
participants actively presented their views irrespective of their affiliated organizations, which
included the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; theMinistry of Finance; the Cabinet Secretariat; the Japan International Cooperation Agency(JICA);

the

Japan

Bank

for

International

Cooperation(JBIC); andinternationalorganizations. The views of the participants have been consolidated by a manifesto
compilation team (see page 21-22 for the list of aid stakeholder representatives who raised
issues and/or contributed to manifesto compilation). Nevertheless, we would like to notethat all the opinions expressed by the participants were purely personal and that they do
not represent the official views of their affiliated organizations.

iThe process of the discussions has been publicized periodically in Japanese on the group’s
website at (http://www.grips.ac.jp/forum/oda_salon/), as well as in the mailing list of“devforum” (distributed by the Washington DC Development Forum, with the membershipof about 900 professionals in Japan, developing countries, and international organizations).
The comments and suggestions raised during this process have been included whereappropriate. Moreover, discussion meetings were held with NGO members who have been
involved in the formulation of a citizens’ manifesto.

In the following, we present 30 specific proposals for renovating Japan’s ODA.

ii

OVERVIEW OF THE “3300 PROPOSALS”
Proposal11 The Diet shall discuss the basic strategies and the
ODA budget and set up a special committee (in both chambers of
the Diet) to this end.

1 Clarify the Vision
and Strategies

Proposal22 The Overseas Economic Cooperation Council (set up
in the Cabinet Secretariat and charged with ODA strategy) shallestablish an “International Cooperation Strategy Committee,” withmembers from the public and private sectors, as its advisory body.

Proposal33 The Overseas Economic Cooperation Council shalldevelopaframeworkofcountry/region-specificassistancestrategies, strategies for priority issues and multilateral assistancestrategies, etc. based thoroughly on “selection and concentration,”and guide the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in drawing up the required
policies.

Proposal44 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall clearly define the2 Satisfy the Needs

role of the country-based ODA Task Forces to accelerate theof Developing

field-level decision making and strengthen their functions withCountries andmulti-stakeholder participation.

Strengthen the
Field-level Functions

Proposal55 The new JICA shall serve as the secretariat of theof ODA

country-based ODA Task Forces and lead their activities.

Implementation

Proposal66 The Overseas Economic Cooperation Council shallclearly define the basic strategies for multilateral assistance, and
the Government and the new JICA shall actively participate in theformulation process of international development strategies,

3 Lead the Global

currently led by international organizations.

Development

Strategy Think Tank” to formulate policy proposals and conduct

Trends

Proposal77 Create a globally open “International Cooperation
research and dissemination activities to contribute to both national
and assistance strategies.

Proposal88 The Government shall establish “aid for graduation”
as a basic message of Japan’s ODA and disseminate thismessage within Japan and abroad. This refers to the support toself-help efforts which Japan has been practicing in Asia.

iii

–OVERVIEW OF THE “30 PROPOSALS” (9-17) –Proposal99 The Government shall renovate the public relations
activities for ODA. Use the phrase “international cooperation”
instead of the acronym “ODA” and feature Japanese professionals

4 Promote the(from businesses, universities, NGOs, etc.) actively engaged in the

Understanding andfeaturing the Government or implementing agencies.

Participation of
Citizens

field activities with the people of developing countries instead of

Proposal1100 The Government and the new JICA shallcollaborate with civil society to disseminate information oninternational cooperation.
Proposal1111 Under the guidance of the Overseas Economic
Cooperation Council, the Government and the new JICA shalldisseminate messages tailored to all segments of Japanesesociety via appropriate media.

Proposal1122 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, guided by thestrategies set up by the Overseas Economic Cooperation
Council, shall develop country/region-specific assistancepolicies and policies for priority issues, and decide
Restructure andcountry-specific aid allocations.
Strengthen the System Proposal1133 The new JICA, guided by the above policies andcountry-specific aid allocations, shall execute all thefor ODA Policy
activities—from the development of the cooperation programs
Implementation
to their implementation—in a holistic manner.
Proposal1144 The Government and the new JICA shallrestructure the ODA activities from the scheme-based budget
to an issue-specific budget.

5

6 Reform andImprove theAdministrative
Systems andProcedures

Proposal1155 The Government and the new JICA shallconsolidate the fragmented aid schemes and simplify
cumbersome procedures.
Proposal1166 The Government shall make international
agreements on ODA projects more comprehensive by
aggregating individual projects.
Proposal1177 The Government shall increase flexibility of thecooperation period, eliminate problems caused by thesingle-year budgeting system, and the new JICA shalldrastically revise its procurement procedures in order toachieve results-oriented, speedy assistance.
iv

- OVERVIEW OF THE “30 PROPOSALS” (18-26)

7 Increase the ODA
Budget and Reform
its Funding
Mechanisms

8 Develop
International
Cooperation-related
Career Paths andImprove the Human
Resources
Development System

9 Enhance
Collaboration with thePrivate Sector andForm Public-private
Alliances

Proposal1188 Increase the ODA budget to a levelcommensurate with that of national income and keepinternational commitments.
Proposal1199 Increase the general account ODA budget for
grants and examine measures to secure new financial
resources (e.g., allocating 1 percent of the international
aviation tax or the consumption tax for ODA).
Proposal2200 Earmark sums of the ODA budget specifically forenvironmental conservation and for African development.

Proposal2211 Establish a “Human Resources Development
Center” for international cooperation. Register humanresources, establish a network with national agencies andinternational organizations, and work collaboratively witheducational organizations and others.
Proposal2222 Expand the employment opportunities inworkplaces such as international organizations, the Ministry ofForeign Affairs, the new JICA, universities, businesses, andNGOs, to establish career paths for international cooperation.
At the same time, increase the mobility of human resources
across organizations.

Proposal2233 The Overseas Economic Cooperation Council
shall include representatives of private businesses and NGOs
in its advisory body, the “International Cooperation Strategy
Committee.”
Proposal2244 Establish a “Multi-stakeholder Forum for ODA
Implementation” to enhance the collaboration of theGovernment, the implementing agencies, businesses, NGOs,
universities, etc. to promote international cooperation.
Proposal2255 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the new JICA
shall establish an information-sharing network among thecountry-based ODA Task Forces, business, NGOs,
researchers, etc.
Proposal2266 The Government and the new JICA shallpromote public-private partnerships (PPPs) and design special
facilities to effectively mobilize funds and know-how from theprivate sector.
v

OVERVIEW OF THE “30 PROPOSALS” (27-30) –10 Clarify the Vision
and Sharpen the
Focus of Japan’s Aid
to Africa

Proposal2277 The Government shall reform the budget andfunding systems and expand the ODA volume for Africa in 2008and beyond, especially in grants.
Proposal2288 Establish a committee to specialize in supporting
Africa within the “Multi-stakeholder Forum for ODA
Implementation.”
Proposal2299 The Government and the new JICA shall selectmodel countries to embody the “aid for graduation” message
and allocate additional aid to them. Human and financial
resources should be concentrated on the model countries.
Proposal3300 The Government and the new JICA shall design
special facilities for Africa to mitigate risks and promote private
sector investment.

vi

CURRENT JAPANESE ODA
Three-tier structure for policy formulation and implementation
Overseas Economic
Cooperation Council (OECC)
Vision, strategies notclearly defined

First
tier

Political involvement
 House of Councillors ODA
Special Committee Committees within politicalparties
Limitedinvolvement

Ministry of Foreign Affairs(Ministry of Economy, Trade andIndustry; Ministry of Finance;etc.) Country assistance programs
 Issue-specific initiatives

Secondtier

Coordination meetings of theministries and agencies
concerned
Vertically divided public
administration; overlaps; insufficientdelegation of authority

Third
tier

Implementing agencies
 Country assistance
implementation plans (JICA,
JBIC)
Insufficientcollaboration

Privatesector/Citizensvii

Current issues:
1. Clarify the vision andstrategies
2. Satisfy the needs ofdeveloping countries andstrengthen the field-level
functions of ODA
implementation
3. Lead the global development
trends
4. Promote the understanding
and participation of citizens
5. Restructure and strengthen
the system for ODA policy
implementation
6. Reform and improve theadministrative systems andprocedures
7. Increase the ODA budget andreform its funding mechanisms
8. Develop international
cooperation-related career
paths and improve the humanresources development system
9. Enhance collaboration with theprivate sector and form
public-private alliances
10. Clarify the vision andsharpen the focus of Japan’s
aid to Africa

NEW JAPANESE ODA
Four-tier international cooperation with multi-stakeholder participation
Overseas Economic
Cooperation Council (OECC)
International Cooperation
Strategy Committee(Advisory body consisting ofmembers from both public andprivate sectors)
 Vision, strategies
 Priority countries and regions;priority issues, Multilateralassistance

Political involvement

First
tier

 Establishment of special
committees in the Diet (todiscuss basic strategies andbudget for ODA)
 Committees within politicalparties“International Cooperation
Strategy Think Tank”
 Strategy and policy proposals

Human resources
development

Proposals 2, 3, 6, 8, 18, 19, 20, 23,
and 27

 “Human Resources
Development Center”
Proposals 1, 7, 21, and 22

Ministry of Foreign Affairs(Ministry of Economy, Trade andIndustry; Ministry of Finance;etc.) Country/region-specificassistance policies
 Policies for priority issues
 Country-specific aid allocations
 Bilateral and multilateralassistance policies

Secondtier

Proposals 12, 29, and 30

Implementing agencies
 Country assistance programs Assistance programs for priority
issuesAdministrative reform in ODA
 Integration of vertically divided
public administration
 Budget and procurement
systems and various
procedures Delegation of authority to thefield level
Proposals 14, 15, 16, and 17

Third
tier

“Multi-stakeholder Forum forODA Implementation”(Public-private partnerships andalliances) Businesses, civil society, NGOs
 Universities
 Establishment of a committee
specializing in Africa

Proposals 4, 5, 13, and 25

Fourthtier(Private
sector/Citizens)

viii

Combination of partnership
activities(Citizen participation; public
relations)
Proposals 9, 10, 11, 24, 26, and 28

FOREWORD
Japan’s ODA is currently standing on the “edge of a cliff.”

In sharp contrast to the massive increase in ODA by major donor countries, such as the US
and European countries, following the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, Japanese
ODA has suffered from drastic cuts. Consequently, Japan, which was the world’s largest
ODA donor in the 1990s, ceded its top position to the US in 2001 and dropped to third,
losing second position to the UK in 2006. Moreover, Japan is likely to soon fall behind
Germany and France if no measures are taken to increase the ODA budget, making it
difficult to keep the international commitment that Japan made at the 2005 G8 Gleneagles
Summit held in the UK. Moreover, Japan’s international presence is rapidly fading, as China
and other emerging donors are enhancing their diplomatic efforts to secure energy andnatural resources all over the world, including in Africa.

Domestically, as Japan’s fiscal situation has worsened, the ODA budget has decreased byalmost 40% over the past decade, which stands out compared to the 20% decrease inpublic works expenditure. These days, many people associate international contributions
with the Self-Defense Forces rather than ODA. The mass media has lost interest in theissue and ODA is rarely the focus of domestic political debate.

Under these circumstances, the unexpected decision was taken to fundamentally review
the ODA implementation system. This decision was prompted by the restructuring of publicfinancial institutions. The Overseas Economic Cooperation Council (OECC), comprising
five ministers including the Prime Minister, has been set up to enhance the strategicplanning capabilities of the Government. In addition, the merger of the ODA loan operationsof the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC; formerly the Overseas Economic
Cooperation Fund [OECF]) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is
scheduled for 2008. This year, Japan will also host the fourth Tokyo International
Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) and the G8 Summit held at Toya Lake,
where the development of Africa, poverty reduction in developing countries, and issues
concerning environmental and climate changes will be discussed. Thus, the year 2008
represents a golden opportunity to renovate Japan’s ODA and demonstrate its newcommitment to enhance aid effectiveness, both domestically and internationally.

ix

The “Review Committee on Overseas Economic Cooperation” (an advisory body to thenChief Cabinet Secretary Abe) submitted its final report in 2006. However, the committee did
not discuss the basic strategies and direction of ODA or review thoroughly the
implementation system and management methods, partly because the discussion was
focused on how to deal with public financial institutions. As 2008 is a pivotal “year for
development” for Japan, it is increasingly necessary to stimulate discussions on ODA withthe participation of various segments of Japanese society.

We, as a voluntary multi-stakeholder group, wish to take this opportunity to present our
proposals, based on discussions held since July 2006, and take action to realize them as
the framework for Japan’s ODA is being renewed. Japan was the first non-Western nation
to succeed in catching up with the developed countries. As a donor country, Japan worked
closely with other East Asian countries through the self-help efforts that enabled them tograduate from aid. We believe that Japan can make unique contributions to international
development, based on its own aid and development experiences in East Asia. The resultsof these contributions should be beneficial not only for today’s developing countries but
also for Japan itself.

x1Clarify the Vision and Strategies

Proposal11 The Diet shall discuss the basic strategies and the ODA budget and set up a
special committee (in both chambers of the Diet) to this end.

Proposal22 The Overseas Economic Cooperation Council (set up in the Cabinet Secretariat
and charged with ODA strategy) shall establish an “International Cooperation Strategy
Committee,” with members from the public and private sectors, as its advisory body.

Proposal33 The Overseas Economic Cooperation Council shall develop a framework ofcountry/region-specific assistance strategies, strategies for priority issues and multilateralassistance strategies, etc. based thoroughly on “selection and concentration,” and guide the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs in drawing up the required policies.

Is ODA a means to implement a policy or the policy itself? There tend to be conflicts andconfusions concerning the two when the vision and strategies of ODA are discussed.
Moreover, the above discussion frequently sees the dichotomy between “national interest”
and “humanitarianism” in a narrower sense and treats the two exclusively, which further
complicates efforts to foster a national consensus. In addition, the present ODA is criticizedas lacking a sharp focus and prioritization in terms of selecting partner countries andsectors.

We consider it necessary to clarify and affirm the dual roles of ODA—one for contributing toa “national strategy” and the other for serving as an “assistance strategy.” The former
responds to the question, “For what do we conduct ODA?” and the latter to “How do we
conduct ODA?” In other words, in the case of the former, ODA is viewed as part of Japan’s
foreign policy (UN peacekeeping operations, export promotion, economic partnerships,
cultural exchanges, etc.), while in the case of the latter, ODA is viewed as a strategy forproviding development assistance to satisfy the needs of developing countries.

If viewed as a national strategy, ODA should serve as infrastructure for promoting foreign
diplomacy. In this context, ODA has dual purposes, namely to seek the “national interest” inprotecting

the

lives

of

Japanesecitizens(resources,

energy,food,

security,

trade/investment, UN voting rights, etc.) and to seek the “global interest,” which involves
realizing the spirit of the preamble to the Constitution of Japan (a world free of war, disaster,poverty, and disease). We should not choose one or the other of the above two purposes;
ODA policies should be determined based on a combination of national and global interests.
We believe that prioritization in partner countries/regions and sectors/issues, and moreoverthe volume of assistance (including the proportion of multilateral and bilateral assistance),
should be determined through the policy-making process. For example, the ODA to Country1

A in a bilateral assistance program should be determined by taking account of the bilateralrelationship between Japan and Country A (national interest) and the degree of poverty inCountry A (global interest). As for multilateral assistance, it is important to determine the aid
allocation after reviewing the causes to which Japan wishes to contribute through theinternational system, including efforts to seek the “global interest,” and how to work withinternational organizations in order to realize the above.

If viewed as an “assistance strategy,” ODA should definitely contribute to the developmentof developing countries, and we consider it necessary to combine support for “growthpromotion” and “poverty reduction.” Furthermore, it is necessary to decide the approaches
and priority sectors/issues, including environmental conservation and peace building,according to the needs of partner countries.

With this in mind, how can we establish a system that clearly defines the vision and thedual roles of ODA as a “national strategy” and an “assistance strategy”? We suggest that
the Overseas Economic Cooperation Council (OECC), charged with strategic planning,
initially develop the basic strategies and that the Diet, the highest body of state power that
represents the will of the Japanese people, discuss them. In order for the OECC to function
fully, an advisory council must be set up, consisting of members from the public and private
sectors, with the responsibility for collecting the opinions of experts from various segmentsof Japanese society and providing advice to the OECC. It is also necessary to set up a
special committee in the Diet so as to increase political involvement in ODA policy-making.

2

Satisfy the Needs of Developing Countries and Strengthen

2 the Field-level Functions of ODA Implementation

Proposal4
4 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall clearly define the role of the country-based
ODA Task Forces to accelerate the field-level decision making and strengthen their functions
with multi-stakeholder participation.

Proposal5
5 The new JICA shall serve as the secretariat of the country-based ODA Task
Forces and lead their activities.

As far as ODA is concerned, it should contribute to the “national strategy” by satisfying thedevelopment needs of developing countries and not by seeking solely national interest at
the expense of the developmental purpose. In that sense, it is critically important to build asystem to properly identify the needs of developing countries and provide timely andeffective assistance. It is for this particular reason that the country-based ODA Task Forces
have been set up, primarily with members of the Embassy of Japan and the implementing
agencies. In reality, however, the ODA Task Forces do not always function fully. The
field-level implementation system and human resources are not sufficient because they
suffer from shortages of qualified professionals who perform aid work as a career. For thisreason, the activities of the ODA Task Forces tend to be influenced by personal factors. In
addition, the roles of the Government and the implementing agencies are not clearly
defined, and the delegation of authority from Tokyo to the field offices has been limited, withthe latter serving merely as a liaison of the former.
It is also important to examine how partner countries evaluate Japan’s ODA. In fact, theyoften report a lack of flexibility, slow response, and excessive amounts of required
paperwork. There is an urgent need for Japan to put the interests of the government andthe citizens of the developing country first in implementing assistance.
We consider it necessary to establish a system that facilitates collecting genuine views andsufficient information from partner countries, and making good use of them. It is also
necessary to strengthen the field-level functions so as to facilitate dialogues with various
stakeholders and enhance cooperation and collaboration with other partners. Achieving theabove critically depends on improving the system for supporting the Japanese aid
professionals working in the field and delegating the decision-making authority to them on
daily operations. In order for the ODA Task Forces to function as a multi-stakeholder group,
it is necessary to place the right person in the right place, irrespective of his/her affiliation(e.g., the embassy or implementing agencies), build an open network with the private
sector, and establish a system capable of properly identifying the needs of the partner3

countries and making timely decisions at the field level. Under such a system, the ODA
Task Forces should actively participate in the formulation of country assistance programs tobe led by the new JICA and share a wide variety of information and expertise among them.

4

3 Lead the Global Development Trends
Proposal66 The Overseas Economic Cooperation Council shall clearly define the basic
strategies for multilateral assistance, and the Government and the new JICA shall actively
participate in the formulation process of international development strategies, currently led byinternational organizations.

Proposal77 Create a globally open “International Cooperation Strategy Think Tank” toformulate policy proposals and conduct research and dissemination activities to contribute toboth national and assistance strategies.

Proposal88 The Government shall establish “aid for graduation” as a basic message ofJapan’s ODA and disseminate this message within Japan and abroad. This refers to the
support to self-help efforts which Japan has been practicing in Asia.

Japan’s assistance in East Asia has played a catalytic role in promoting trade andinvestment activities in the private sector and contributed to realizing the “East Asian
miracle.” By using various schemes of assistance (loan aid, grant aid, technicalcooperation) and taking field-oriented, bottom-up approaches, Japan has supported thedevelopment of infrastructure and human resources, promoted public-private collaborationin East Asian countries, and helped their eventual graduation from aid. The above
successful experience, however, has not necessarily been organized and systematized into
a form that can be easily used by developing countries and the international community.
Besides, Japan has missed a number of opportunities to effectively disseminate theinformation on its own experiences to the international community, due to its passive
attitudes toward leading and influencing global development trends. Japan also lacks aclearly defined strategy for utilizing multilateral assistance through its financial contributions
to international organizations. Resultantly, it has had very limited involvement in theformulation process of international development strategies of international organizations.
Japan should present the vision it has fostered through its aid and development
experiences as a universal value to the international community and declare, both
domestically and internationally, that Japan will help realize the above vision in developing
countries. Moreover, for Japan to effectively assist developing countries by using its
comparative advantages, it is essential to systematize and theorize the accumulated
experiences and expertise, and to widely disseminate and mainstream them into global
development trends. There is an urgent need not only to improve the research capability of
the new JICA, but also to create an “International Cooperation Strategy Think Tank”
comprising professionals representing various stakeholders. It is necessary to build a
network that connects developing countries, Japan, and the centers of the international aid

5

community, while increasing Japan’s involvement in shaping global development trends
and the policies of international organizations. The “International Cooperation Strategy
Think Tank” should also assume a role in stimulating domestic discussions on ODA as anational strategy. As such, it should be an organization independent from the Government,
like the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) in the UK and the Center for Global
Development (CGD) in the US.
We believe that the “Japanese approach to assistance” does not conflict with the “needs ofdeveloping countries” and “global best practices.” Rather, we should work to ensure thatJapan’s “home-grown knowledge” and the above needs and practices can be mutually
reinforcing.
Furthermore, we would like to establish “aid for graduation” as a basic message of Japan’s
ODA. This phrase is the contemporary definition of the support for self-help efforts aimed at
self-reliance that Japan has been practicing in Asia. The phrase “aid for graduation” is used
to reconfirm the basic stance that the aid should be given in order to eventually terminate it.
At the same time, the phrase implies an assistance strategy involving the support to growthpromotion, accompanied by supplementary measures to address issues arising in thegrowth process (environmental issues, widening disparities, etc.). It is expected that the
new “International Cooperation Strategy Think Tank” will assume responsibility fortheorizing and systematizing a “Japanese approach to assistance” and disseminating it
globally through open and intellectual dialogues.

64 Promote the Understanding and Participation of Citizens
Proposal99 The Government shall renovate the public relations activities for ODA. Use thephrase “international cooperation” instead of the acronym “ODA” and feature Japanese
professionals (from businesses, universities, NGOs, etc.) actively engaged in the field
activities with the people of developing countries instead of featuring the Government or
implementing agencies.

Proposal1100 The Government and the new JICA shall collaborate with civil society todisseminate information on international cooperation.
Proposal1111 Under the guidance of the Overseas Economic Cooperation Council, theGovernment and the new JICA shall disseminate messages tailored to all segments ofJapanese society via appropriate media.
We need to face the reality that without the understanding and participation of citizens(taxpayers), ODA cannot be sustained. The recent sharp decrease in the ODA budget isalso not completely unrelated to the citizens’ awareness. The results of domestic public
opinion surveys show that Japan’s ODA continues to suffer from negative images such as“opaqueness,” “inefficiency,” and “the recipient countries not being thankful,” and many
Japanese wonder “why do we offer assistance under the current severe domestic economic
conditions?” This is partly because the public is not sufficiently familiar with the true state ofJapanese ODA and partly because the Government has not made enough effort to appeal
to them. The size of the budget allocated to the Government’s public relations activities for
ODA has been very small, and the Government has lacked a public relations strategy
including target groups and messages to be conveyed. On the other hand, the mass media
continues to send negative and fragmented reports to the public.

It is generally believed that “ODA does not win votes.” However, this view contributes to a
vicious circle in which citizens’ limited interest leads to a lack of political initiative and an
absence of strategic vision for ODA.

We should do away with the conventional “public relations activities for ODA.” The acronym“ODA” is merely an accounting or statistical term and is not suitable for appealing to the
public for the challenges of development and poverty faced by developing countries.
Moreover, we consider it necessary to conduct public relations activities that give greaterattention to Japanese citizens (businesses, universities, NGOs, etc.) and the people ofdeveloping countries than to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the implementing agencies
themselves. It is also necessary to access local media and increase the messages to be7

sent out from the fields of developing countries.
Recently, civil society actors (including businesses, NGOs, and celebrities) have madeenhanced efforts to send out positive messages on international cooperation. It is also
important for the Government and the new JICA to work collaboratively with civil society inconveying these messages.

Furthermore, it is necessary to carefully craft public relations strategies for international
cooperation in order to convert from defensive to offensive activities. This means creating
messages that clearly explain “what ODA is for” and disseminating them throughappropriate media to suit the interests of various segments of Japanese society. In doing so,
we should select topics familiar to the targeted groups. For those who highly value the“national interest,” it is important to explain how the daily life of the Japanese is affected by
the situations in developing countries and what changes development and environmental
cooperation might bring. For those who value the “global interest,” it is important to explain
how Japan can contribute and has contributed to alleviating poverty in developing countries.
To appeal to Japanese citizens in general, we should explain, in an easy-to-understandmanner, how the citizens of developing countries and those of Japan are connected
through international cooperation. To this end, we need to devise ways to include “humanfactors” and “story-like plots,” like those found in the documentary TV show Project X.

8

5

Restructure and Strengthen the System for ODA Policy
Implementation

Proposal1122 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, guided by the strategies set up by theOverseas Economic Cooperation Council, shall develop country/region-specificassistance policies and policies for priority issues, and decide country-specific aid
allocations.
Proposal1133 The new JICA, guided by the above policies and country-specific aid
allocations, shall execute all the activities—from the development of the cooperation
programs to their implementation—in a holistic manner.
Proposal1144 The Government and the new JICA shall restructure the ODA activities
from the scheme-based budget to an issue-specific budget.
It is expected that by October 2008, a three-tier structure of the ODA policy implementation
system will be established, comprising the Overseas Economic Cooperation Council(OECC), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the new JICA. However, their respective roles
have not been clearly defined to date. While the OECC assumes strategic planning for
ODA where basic policies and strategies are discussed, its current membership is limited to
five cabinet ministers, and the agenda setting and the details of the discussion remain
undisclosed, limiting its ability to transmit messages widely to the public. Moreover,although the establishment of the new JICA is expected to diminish the current problems
caused by fragmented aid administration, problems continue to exist in that the work of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs often overlaps with that of the new JICA. Besides, the activities ofthe private sector (businesses, universities, NGOs, etc.) working on the frontline of aid
operations are not being made visible, which consequently prevents ODA from developing
into “international cooperation” inclusive of the private sector.

We propose that the new implementation system should not function as a “three-tier”
system centering on ODA. The system must be restructured as a “four-tier” structure
inclusive of businesses, universities, NGOs, local governments, and citizens, based on theidea of international cooperation. While the ODA reform to date has been concerned mainlywith the reform of the second and third tiers, it is critical to work with the first and fourth tiersin order to enhance the strategic planning capability and promote the participation of
citizens.

The main role of the OECC should be to determine the strategic framework of ODA,
including the size of the overall budget, priority countries and regions, priority issues, andthe role of multilateral assistance, from the viewpoint of national strategy. The main roles of9the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should be to develop assistance policies for specific countries
and for priority issues and to coordinate and decide the country-specific aid allocations(ceilings for the totals of loan aid, grant aid, and technical cooperation) as well as bilateraland multilateral assistance policies. Moreover, the new JICA, as a comprehensive
development aid agency, should contribute its knowledge to the formulation of assistancestrategies and, guided by the above policies and the budget ceiling, execute the ODA
activities—ranging from the development to the implementation of the cooperation
programs—in a holistic manner.

10

6

Reform and Improve the Administrative Systems andProcedures

Proposal1155 The Government and the new JICA shall consolidate the fragmented aid
schemes and simplify cumbersome procedures.
Proposal1166 The Government shall make international agreements on ODA projects morecomprehensive by aggregating individual projects.
Proposal1177 The Government shall increase flexibility of the cooperation period, eliminate
problems caused by the single-year budgeting system, and the new JICA shall drasticallyrevise its procurement procedures in order to achieve results-oriented, speedy assistance.
Japanese ODA activities have been organized by various schemes (categorized into loanaid, grant aid, and technical cooperation) under a vertically divided, fragmented
administrative system (with the involvement of 13 ministries and agencies). The complex
system and the cumbersome procedures exert a considerable burden upon developing
countries and the Japanese professionals concerned. For example, grant aid cooperation
has been divided into several sub-schemes, including general project grant aid, non-project
grant aid, fisheries grant aid, grassroots grant aid, human security grant aid, and Japanese
NGO support grant aid. The rigidity in budget and operational procedures hinders theflexible and effective implementation of assistance. Moreover, many of the procurement
procedures are modeled after public works projects in Japan and required to adhere to thesingle-year budgeting system. These make ODA projects in developing countries highly
risky and less appealing to consultants and private businesses because the work conditions
in developing countries are more difficult than in Japan. Moreover, because of lengthy
internal review processes, excessive time is required before project implementation, withthe result that it takes as long as seven years between the planning and implementation of
an ODA loan project.
If the new JICA is to manage the three aid schemes—namely, loan aid, grant aid, andtechnical cooperation—in a holistic manner, it must eliminate the boundaries among theseschemes. The three schemes should be flexibly combined to respond to the problems ofdeveloping countries, and the schemes should not be defended as rightfully existing “justbecause they exist.” Both the budget system and procurement procedures must be mademore flexible, and fragmented sub-schemes must be consolidated and simplified. Moreover,there is a need to increase the efficiency of the signing of an Exchange of Note (aninternational agreement on ODA projects), by making these agreements themselves morecomprehensive, shifting away from the current approach of signing project-specificagreements.

11

Furthermore, it is necessary to drastically reform budget systems and various proceduresthat currently hinder the smooth and speedy implementation of ODA. In particular, theproblems caused by the single-year budgeting system should be addressed in theimmediate future.

12Increase the ODA Budget and Reform its Funding

7 Mechanisms

Proposal1188 Increase the ODA budget to a level commensurate with that of national
income and keep international commitments.
Proposal1199 Increase the general account ODA budget for grants and examine
measures to secure new financial resources (e.g., allocating 1 percent of theinternational aviation tax or the consumption tax for ODA).
Proposal2200 Earmark sums of the ODA budget specifically for environmental
conservation and for African development.
Over the past decade, the Japanese ODA budget has continuously declined. If this trend
continues, Japan will soon fall to fifth place among the advanced countries in terms of ODA
volume (net disbursements). Moreover, the ODA budget for fiscal 2007 was 38% lower thanthat for fiscal 1997. During the same period, 59 of the 142 recipient countries experienced
the reduction of grant aid by more than 50%. The level of contributions to internationalorganizations also decreased significantly, with Japan falling from first to sixth place among
the contributors to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), first to fifth for theUnited Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and second to fourth for the United Nations HighCommissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
If the above trend persists, there is a possibility that Japan may not achieve the US$10
billion increase in ODA and the doubling of aid to Africa committed by the Japanese
Government at the 2005 G8 Summit. Japan must keep its international commitments at all
costs as a responsible member of the international community.
We believe Japan should not decrease the ODA budget any further, considering Japan’s
position as the world’s second largest economic power, a country with scarce natural
resources, a trading nation, a country enjoying material abundance that depends on
developing countries, and a country vulnerable to the impacts of global warming and otherenvironmental issues. There is no doubt that the key in the first place is to strive
continuously to improve the quality and further enhance the strategic orientation of ODA,
learning from the hard lessons of past failures and inefficient implementation of projects,
and paying due attention to accountability to citizens and aid effectiveness. However, at thesame time, it is essential to secure the absolute amount of ODA in order to firmly maintainJapan’s presence in the international community. Realizing an ODA level commensuratewith the level of Japan’s national income is vitally important, not only for developing
countries but also for Japan. To this end, it is necessary to stop further cuts in the generalaccount ODA budget and immediately examine the possibility of introducing new funding13

mechanisms.
Moreover, while some of the East Asian countries are graduating from ODA loans, thedemand for highly concessional funds is likely to increase in order to support environmental
conservation and African development. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a system forincreasing funding for the Japanese ODA budget, especially in grants, from a medium- tolong-term perspective. In 2008, Japan will host the G8 Summit and the Fourth Tokyo
International Conference for African Development (TICAD IV), where the international
community will discuss its response to climate change, environmental issues, and African
development. We believe that Japan’s determination to increase the ODA budget in 2008
and its active engagement in these events will give a strong message to the international
community.

14

Develop International Cooperation-related Career Paths

8 and Improve the Human Resources Development System
Proposal2211 Establish a “Human Resources Development Center” for international
cooperation. Register human resources, establish a network with national agencies andinternational organizations, and work collaboratively with educational organizations andothers.
Proposal2222 Expand the employment opportunities in workplaces such as internationalorganizations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the new JICA, universities, businesses,
and NGOs, to establish career paths for international cooperation. At the same time,increase the mobility of human resources across organizations.
One of the major weaknesses of Japan’s international cooperation is the scarcity ofprofessional human resources, despite the fact that there are limited job opportunities for
those who have gained certain experiences in international cooperation. Not only is thenumber of Japanese people working in international organizations limited, but there is aserious shortage of human resources with professional expertise in international
cooperation. Those who have working experience in the fields are not properly evaluatedand utilized, and such human resources have not been sufficiently accumulated. Even if ahuman resources system is developed, qualified personnel will move elsewhere if there are
no job opportunities where they can effectively utilize their expertise. In other words, career
paths for international cooperation are yet to be established, and the budget andinstitutional arrangements for developing professional human resources, from a long-term
perspective, are insufficient. As a result, Japan continues to lose international
competitiveness and suffer from a low profile in ODA activities.
To enhance the quantity and quality of human resources for international cooperation, it isnecessary to link the two systems of employment and human resource development so thatinterested individuals can develop their career according to their capabilities. In particular,
accumulating various experiences, such as field operations, policy-related work, andsurveys and research, will not only help develop career paths but will also eventuallycontribute to creating a virtuous circle connecting policies and implementation. Furthermore,
it is important to invite those professionals who have accumulated policy and operational
experiences in international organizations to work for Japan’s development assistance, andat the same time, to increase the number of Japanese professionals active in internationalorganizations in order to contribute to the formulation of their assistance strategies. There isa need to establish a pool of qualified human resources with international competitiveness,
who can connect the activities within Japan and abroad, as well as the field activities,
policies and research. More specifically, there is an urgent need to establish a “Human
Resources Development Center,” which—with linkages with international organizations and15

aid agencies abroad—will collaborate with domestic NGOs, local governments, universities,businesses, ministries and agencies, the new JICA, the police, and the Self-Defense
Forces. Furthermore, it is necessary to expand employment opportunities in the area ofinternational cooperation and increase the mobility of human resources acrossorganizations, by significantly promoting recruitment and personnel exchanges (includinginterns) among NGOs, research institutes, private businesses, the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, diplomatic establishments abroad, and the new JICA.

16

Enhance Collaboration with the Private Sector and Form

9 Public-private Alliances

Proposal2233 The Overseas Economic Cooperation Council shall include
representatives of private businesses and NGOs in its advisory body, the “International
Cooperation Strategy Committee.”
Proposal2244 Establish a “Multi-stakeholder Forum for ODA Implementation” to enhance
the collaboration of the Government, the implementing agencies, businesses, NGOs,
universities, etc. to promote international cooperation.
Proposal2255 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the new JICA shall establish an
information-sharing network among the country-based ODA Task Forces, business,
NGOs, researchers, etc.
Proposal2266 The Government and the new JICA shall promote public-private
partnerships (PPPs) and design special facilities to effectively mobilize funds andknow-how from the private sector.
Although the importance of collaboration between ODA and the private sector has beenfrequently emphasized, there remains a tendency to treat the private sector as a“component” of ODA. As a result, a true partnership between them is yet to be established.
The private sector (businesses, NGOs, etc.) has been actively engaged in ODA activities.
However, we must note that their activities tend to suffer from a bad image. One example isthe notion that “the ODA activities pursued by big companies are for profit and are thus notclean.” It is extremely rare that ODA is implemented with multi-stakeholder participation bymaking good use of the knowledge and experience of the private sector.
Moreover, the consultant industry is considerably affected by both loss and aging of its
human resources, seriously suffering from the burden caused by the inconsistent ODA
implementation system. This is compounded by the fact that currently, the role of private
businesses in ODA is viewed only in light of contractual relationships, based on the offeringof and bidding for individual ODA projects. They are not viewed as partners for promotinginternational cooperation, for example, in the areas of improving the investment climate or
supporting institution building. Conversely, there is a lack of awareness on the part of thebusinesses that while offering their expertise to ODA activities, they are also beneficiaries
from the ODA in the medium to long term. As such, businesses have not made major efforts
to approach the Government and the implementing agencies.
The private sector (businesses, NGOs, etc.) has an important role in supportinginternational cooperation. We should firmly bear in mind that such private, non-ODA
cooperation forms the basis of bilateral relationships, on which ODA is based. It isnecessary to expand and diversify the channels of international cooperation, including

17

private investments and NGOs as well as international exchanges at the level of local
governments. In this sense, the role of ODA must be viewed as creating the enabling
environment for private sector cooperation.
Moreover, it is necessary to establish a system to take advantage of the knowledge of theprivate sector. Such a system should be based on renewed recognition of the role of theprivate sector as a key player in ODA activities. More specifically, it is necessary to include
the fourth tier (the private sector) within the ODA implementation system and createchannels of interaction between the fourth tier and the other tiers. These channels include
the participation of the private sector representatives in the “International Cooperation
Strategy Committee” to advise the Overseas Economic Cooperation Council (at thestrategy level) and also in the “Multi-stakeholder Forum for ODA Implementation” (at theimplementation level).
Furthermore, there is a need to devise measures to provide comprehensive support topromote public-private partnerships (PPPs), especially to assist such countries where
private businesses are active (Asian countries, middle-income countries, etc.) and to tackle
environmental issues (including the Clean Development Mechanism [CDM]). It is also
necessary to establish a system for reducing risks associated with investments in Africa, as
it is very likely that private investment will not arise spontaneously due to the significant risk
factors involved.

18

10 Clarify the Vision and Sharpen the Focus of Japan’s Aid
to Africa

Proposal2277 The Government shall reform the budget and funding systems and expand
the ODA volume for Africa in 2008 and beyond, especially in grants.
Proposal2288 Establish a committee to specialize in supporting Africa within the“Multi-stakeholder Forum for ODA Implementation.”
Proposal2299 The Government and the new JICA shall select model countries to embody
the “aid for graduation” message and allocate additional aid to them. Human andfinancial resources should be concentrated on the model countries.
Proposal3300 The Government and the new JICA shall design special facilities for Africa
to mitigate risks and promote private sector investment.
There is a consensus in the international community on the importance of supporting thedevelopment of Africa, and many donor countries and organizations have been increasing
their assistance to the continent. In contrast, in Japan there is no clear consensus on thebasic idea about the “reason why we should support Africa,” partly because Japan isgeographically far from Africa and its historical, political and economic relations with that
continent are limited. Discussions on Africa among the Japanese citizens are also nearlynonexistent. Although the share of Africa in total Japanese ODA has remained stable atabout 10%, the actual amount (net disbursements) of ODA to Africa has halved in the past
decade. The Japanese Government made a commitment to double its ODA to Africa overthe coming three years at the 2005 G8 Summit, but has not yet presented its vision forassistance in 2008 and beyond, in terms of the budget size and share of Africa in the total
ODA. Furthermore, despite the fact that active aid partnerships are taking place in Africa,
the functions of Japanese field offices in Africa are constrained due to insufficient numbersof professional staff and budget size, as well as limited decision-making authority,
compared to those of other donors. Many of the problems of Japanese ODA are crystallized
in the support to Africa.
As a responsible member of the international community, Japan should be actively
engaged in supporting the development of Africa as long as the purpose of ODA is tocontribute to development and poverty reduction in developing countries (“global interest”).
At the same time, the Japanese citizens will indirectly benefit in various ways (“national
interest”) if Japan is successful in establishing and strengthening a long-term trusting
relationship with African countries by providing assistance to meet their development needs.
We consider it necessary to promote the understanding of Japanese citizens regarding
support for Africa so that they will fully recognize that the “global interest” and the “national
interest” are inseparable in this age of globalization.

19

With this in mind, there is an urgent need to set up a committee to specialize in Africa withinthe “Multi-stakeholder Forum for ODA Implementation” to discuss the strategies andapproaches Japan can take to support Africa, building on public-private collaboration.
Moreover, it is desirable to increase the general account ODA budget allocated for Africa,
especially in grants, partly to avoid unnecessarily increasing Africa’s debt burden. Certain
African countries are keenly interested in the development experience of East Asian
countries that have successfully graduated from aid and have started to make self-help
efforts for accelerating growth. We consider it necessary to concentrate human andfinancial resources on these selected African countries and intensify assistance to them so
as to realize in these countries the “aid for graduation” that Japan has successfully
practiced in East Asia. To do so, Japan should make good use of its strengths, namely,
attention to the production sector (such as industry and agriculture), public-private
collaboration, and field-based activities, and sharpen its prioritization in aid to Africa.
At the same time, since the implementation of projects in Africa involves significant risks,
and the private sector does not invest there spontaneously, special facilities must be
designed to mitigate risks and indirectly support private sector development by using ODA(for example, support for corporate social responsibility [CSR], loan and investment
functions by ODA, and partial guarantee function in PPPs).

20

[Issue Raisers](Listed by the circles to which they belong in the English alphabetical order with the job
title at the time)<Political>
Abe, Masatoshi

Member of the House of Councillors (Deputy Secretary-General,
Liberal Democratic Party)

Inuzuka, Tadashi

Member of the House of Councillors (Democratic Party)

Toyama, Kiyohiko

Vice-Minister (Parliamentary) for Foreign Affairs; Member of theHouse of Councillors (New Komeito)<Mass media>
Araki, Mitsuya

President and Chief Editor, The International Development
Journal Co., Ltd.

Imazato, Yoshikazu

Editorial Writer, The Tokyo Shimbun

Wakisaka, Noriyuki

Editorial Writer, The Asahi Shimbun<Business>
Hayashi, Kanji

Manager, International Cooperation Group, International
Economic Affairs Bureau II, Nippon Keidanren (Japan Business
Federation)

Mishina, Ichiro

Member of the Engineering and Consulting Firms Association(Managing Director, Nippon Koei Co., Ltd.)

Miyaji, Masaki

Corporate Advisor, Mitsubishi Corporation

Yoshimura, Takashi

Principal Administrator, International Economic Affairs Bureau II,
Nippon Keidanren (Japan Business Federation)<NGOs>
Nakajima, Masaaki

Policy Officer, Hottokenai Sekai no Mazushisa (Don't let it be World Poverty)

Takahashi, Kiyotaka

Research and Policy Manager, Japan International Volunteer
Center (JVC)<Academics>
Kojima, Masahiko

Professor, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies; Visiting
Senior Advisor, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)(Coordinator of the Group for Renovating Japanese ODA)

Kusano, Atsushi

Professor, Faculty of Policy Management, Keio University

21

Ohno, Izumi

Professor, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies(Coordinator of the Group for Renovating Japanese ODA )Ohno, Kenichi

Professor, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies<Other parties concerned>
Okamoto, Takehiro

Planner, Customer Marketing Division, Hakuhodo Inc.

Tanaka, Tatsuo

Executive

Director,

Association

for

the

PromotionofInternational Cooperation (APIC)[Manifesto Compilation Team]
Araki, Mitsuya

President and Chief Editor, The International Development
Journal Co., Ltd.

Asanuma, Shinji

Visiting Professor, School of International and Public Policy,
Hitotsubashi University

Fukui, Ryu

Manager, Tokyo Development Learning Center, The World Bank

Osaki, Asako

Development Policy Specialist (Hottokenai Sekai no Mazushisa[Don't let it be - World Poverty], UNDP)

Kojima, Masahiko

Professor, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies; Visiting
Senior Advisor, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)(Coordinator of the Group for Renovating Japanese ODA)

Ohno, Izumi

Professor, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies;(Coordinator of the Group for Renovating Japanese ODA)The Discussion Group meetings have been managed by the Secretariat Team (Asuka
Suzuki and Masumi Owa, with Izumi Ohno and Masahiko Kojima) at the National Graduate
Institute for Policy Studies.

22

MANIFESTO AT A GLANCE:-30 Proposals for Enhanced International CooperationProblems

Basic direction

30 proposals

1. Clarify the vision and strategies

 The vision and strategies of
ODA are not clearly defined. It
is impossible to send out
effective messages to citizens
andtheinternational
community.
 The current ODA strategies
attempt to please everyone,
but leave no one sufficiently
satisfied.

 ODA, if viewed as a national strategy, should serve dual purposes,i.e., “national interest” and “global interest.” ODA policies should
be determined based on a combination of the two.
 ODA, if viewed as “assistance strategy,” should contribute to thedevelopment of developing countries. Support for “growthpromotion” and “poverty reduction” should be combined, according
to the needs of partner countries.
 There is a need to establish a system that clearly defines thevision and dual roles of ODA as a “national strategy” and an“assistance strategy.” Political involvement in ODA policy-making
is necessary. Specifically, the Overseas Economic Cooperation
Council (OECC) should develop the basic strategies, and the Diet,
representing the will of the Japanese people, should discuss them.

[1] The Diet shall discuss the basic strategies andthe ODA budget and set up a special committee (inboth chambers of the Diet) to this end.
[2] The OECC (set up in the Cabinet Secretariat
and charged with ODA strategy) shall establish
an ”International Cooperation Strategy Committee,”with members from the public and private sectors,
as its advisory body.
[3] The OECC shall develop a framework ofcountry/region-specificassistancestrategies,
strategies for priority issues, multilateral assistancestrategies, etc. based thoroughly on “selection andconcentration,” and guide the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs in drawing up the required policies.

2. Satisfy the needs of developing countries
and strengthen the field-level functions of
ODA implementation

Tasks

 The current system does notenable the provision ofassistance that satisfies theneedsofdeveloping
countries.
 The field-level implementation
system and human resourcesarenotsufficient.
The
activities of the country-based
ODA Task Forces tend to be
influenced
bypersonalfactors.

 There is a need to establish a system capable of properly
identifying the needs of partner countries and making timely
decisions at the field level.
 There is a need to delegate the decision-making authority to
Japanese aid professionals working in the field and to review how
the country-based ODA Task Forces should function.
 The right person should be placed in the right place, irrespectiveof his/her affiliation (e.g., the embassy or implementing agencies).
The ODA Task Forces should build an open network with theprivate sector.

[4] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall clearly
define the role of the country-based ODA Task
Forces to accelerate the field-level decision making
andstrengthen
theirfunctionswithmulti-stakeholder participation.
[5] The new JICA shall serve as the secretariat of
the country-based ODA Task Forces and lead theiractivities.

Tasks3.
Lead the global development trends
4.
Promotetheunderstanding
participation of citizens
andProblems

Basic direction

30 proposals

 Involvement
intheinternational
development
strategies of internationalorganizations is limited, due toa lack of clearly defined
strategyforutilizing
multilateral assistance.
 Japan has not effectively
disseminated its aid anddevelopment vision to theinternational community, as a“Japanese
approachtoassistance” has not beenclearly defined.
 Japan has taken
passive
attitudes toward leading andinfluencing
globaldevelopment trends.

 There is a need to formulate strategies to increase Japan’s
involvement in shaping global development trends and the policies
of international organizations. The use of multilateral and bilateralassistance must be clarified.
 Japan should present the vision it has fostered through its aid anddevelopment experiences in East Asia as a universal value to theinternational community. It should systematize and theorize theaccumulated experiences and expertise, and strengthen the ability
to disseminate and mainstream them into global development
trends.
 It is necessary to build a network that connects developing
countries, Japan, and the centers of the international aid
community. An “International Cooperation Strategy Think Tank,”
independent from the Government, should be created in addition
to improving the research capability of the new JICA.
 Japan should establish “aid for graduation” as its basic message
of ODA, which is the contemporary definition of the support toself-help efforts aimed at self-reliance. The phrase is used toreconfirm the basic stance that aid should be given in order toeventually terminate it, and also implies an assistance strategy
involving growth promotion, accompanied by supplementarymeasures to address issues arising in the growth process(environmental issues, widening disparities, etc.).

[6] The OECC shall clearly define the basic
strategies for taking part in multilateral assistance,
and the Government and the new JICA shallactively participate in the formulation process ofinternational development strategies, currently led
by international organizations.
[7] Create a globally open “International
Cooperation Strategy Think Tank” to formulate
policy proposals and conduct research anddissemination activities to contribute to bothnational and assistance strategies.
[8] The Government and the new JICA shallestablish“ as a basic message of Japan’s ODA anddisseminate this message within Japan andabroad. This refers to the support to self-help
efforts which Japan has been practicing in Asia.

 The Government’s appeal tocitizens (taxpayers) on ODA is
insufficient.
 ODA suffers from negative
public images such as“opaqueness,” “inefficiency,”
and “the recipient countries
not being thankful.” The size of the budget
allocated to the Government’s
public relations activities for
ODA is small, and theGovernment lacks a public
relations strategy.

 It is necessary to do away with the “public relations activities for
ODA” that mainly feature the Government and the implementing
agencies.
 There are not enough channels of dialogue between the citizens
and the Japanese aid circle. As the development issues anddomestic issues are not adequately connected, it is necessary tolink domestic policies with diplomacy.
 It is necessary to carefully craft public relations strategies forinternational cooperation, to convert from defensive to offensive
activities. This means creating messages that clearly explain “what
ODA is for” and disseminating them through appropriate media tosuit the interests of various segments of Japanese society.
 It is necessary to include in public relations messages more“human factors” and “story-like plots.” There is a need to devise a system involving citizens, NGOs,
business, politicians, media, etc.

[9] The Government shall renovate the public
relations activities for ODA. Use the phrase“international cooperation” instead of the acronym“ODA” and mainly feature Japanese professionals(from businesses, universities, NGOs, etc.) actively
engaged in the field activities with the people of thedeveloping country instead of featuring theGovernment or the implementing agencies.
[10] The Government and the new JICA shallcollaborate with civil society to disseminate
information on international cooperation.
[11] Under the guidance of the OECC, theGovernment and the new JICA shall disseminate
messages tailored to all segments of Japanesesociety via appropriate media.

Basic direction

30 proposals

 Althougha“three-tierstructure”
has
been
established, the roles of the
OECC, the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, and JICA are notclearly defined, and there isinsufficientdelegationofauthority.
 The details of discussions
held by the OECC remain
undisclosed.
 The work of the Ministry ofForeign Affairs often overlaps
with that of JICA, causing
inefficiency.

 The new implementation system should be restructured as a“four-tier” structure—instead of a “three-tier” structure—inclusiveof the private sector (businesses, NGOs, etc.) as key actors of
ODA.
 There is a need to clearly define respective roles: The OECC
should determine the size of the overall ODA budget, priority
countries, priority issues, and multilateral assistance strategies
from the viewpoint of national strategy. The Ministry of Foreign
Affairs should formulate assistance policies for specific countries
and for priority issues, and coordinate and decide country-specificaid allocations (ceilings for the totals of loan aid, grant aid, andtechnical cooperation) as well as bilateral and multilateralassistance policies. The new JICA should develop country- andissue-specific assistance programs and assume responsibility fordeveloping and implementing the cooperation programs in aholistic manner.
 There is a need to clearly separate the role of the Government
from that of the implementing agency (new JICA) to eliminate
overlaps. Decisions should be made promptly, at the field level.

[12] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, guided by thestrategies set up by the OECC, shall develop
country/region-specific assistance policies and policies
for priority issues, and decide country-specific aid
allocations.
[13] The new JICA, guided by the above policies andcountry-specific aid allocations, shall execute all theactivities—from the development of the cooperation
program to their implementation of assistance—in aholistic manner.
[14] The Government and the new JICA shallrestructure the ODA activities from the scheme-based
budget to an issue-based budget.

6. Reform
andadministrative
procedures The current ODA system andprocedures
arecomplex,requiring considerable time
before implementation.

 There is a need to remove or correct bottlenecks in the budget
system and various procedures. (Examples include the verticallydivided, fragmented administration system; rigidity in budget andoperational procedures, the procurement system, and thesingle-year
budgetingsystem—which
giveinsufficientconsideration to the work conditions in developing countries—andlengthy internal review processes between project planning andimplementation.)[15] The Government and the new JICA shallconsolidate the fragmented aid schemes and simplify
cumbersome procedures.
[16] The Government shall make international
commitments on ODA projects more comprehensive by
aggregating individual projects.
[17] The Government shall increase the flexibility of thecooperation period, eliminate the problems caused by
the single-year budgeting system, and the new JICA
shall drastically revise its procurement procedures inorder to achieve results-oriented, speedy assistance.

improvesystems

Problems
5. Restructure and strengthen the system for ODA policy
implementation

Tasks

the
and

Problems

Basic direction

30 proposals

7. Increase the ODA budget and reform its funding
mechanisms

 Japan’s ODA budget hascontinuously declined, andthere is the possibility thatJapan will fall to fifth place interms of ODA volume.
 There is a possibility thatJapan may not achieve the
US$10 billion increase in ODA
and the doubling of aid to
Africa committed by theJapanese Government at the2005 G8 Summit.

 Japan should not decrease the ODA budget, considering Japan’s
position as the world’s second largest economic power, a country
with scarce natural resources, a trading nation, a country enjoying
material abundance that depends on developing countries, and acountry vulnerable to the impacts of global warming and otherenvironmental issues.
 Japan must keep its international commitments as a responsible
member of the international community.
 Japan should strive continuously to improve the quality andenhance the strategic orientation of ODA, learning from the hard
lessons of past failures and inefficient implementation of projects.
At the same time, it is essential to secure the absolute amount of
ODA in order to firmly maintain Japan’s presence in theinternational community.
 It is necessary to establish a system for increasing funding for theJapanese ODA budget, especially in grants (grant aid andtechnical cooperation), from a medium- to long-term perspective,
as the demand for highly concessional funds to support
environmental conservation and African development etc. is likely
to increase in the future.

[18] Increase the ODA budget to a level commensuratewith that of national income and keep international
commitments.
[19] Increase the general account ODA budget for
grants and examine measures to secure new financial
resources (e.g., allocating 1 percent of the international
aviation tax or the consumption tax for ODA).
[20] Earmark sums of the ODA budget specifically forenvironmental
conservation
andforAfricandevelopment.

8. Developinternational
cooperation-related
career paths and improve the humanresources development system

Tasks

 There is a serious shortage ofhuman
resources
withprofessional
expertiseininternational
cooperation.
There
are
limitedjob
opportunities for those who
havegainedcertainexperiences in international
cooperation.
 The number of Japanesepeopleworking
ininternational organizations islimited.
 Thecareerpaths
forinternational cooperation are
yet to be established.

 There is a need to establish a system so that interested individuals
can develop their career according to their capabilities.
 Accumulating various experiences, such as field operations,policy-related work, and surveys and research, will not only help
develop career paths but will also eventually contribute to creatinga virtuous circle connecting policies and implementation. It is also
important to invite those professionals who have accumulated
policy and operational experiences in international organizations
to work for Japan’s development assistance and to increase thenumber of Japanese active in international organizations tocontribute to the formulation of their assistance strategies.
 There is a need to establish a pool of qualified human resources
with international competitiveness who can connect the activities
in Japan and abroad, as well as the field activities, policies andresearch. To this end, the personnel exchanges and employment
opportunities should be increased in the area of international
cooperation (for example, by establishing a “Human Resources
Development Center”).

[21] Establish a “Human Resources Development
Center” for international cooperation. Register humanresources, establish a network with national agencies
and international organizations, and work collaboratively
with educational organizations and others.
[22] Expand the employment opportunities inworkplaces such as international organizations, theMinistry of Foreign Affairs, the new JICA, universities,businesses, and NGOs, to establish career paths forinternational cooperation. At the same time, increase
the mobility of human resources across organizations.

Problems

Basic direction

30 proposals

9. Enhance collaboration with the private
sector and form public-private
alliances Collaboration between ODA
and the private sector remains
insufficient (although the twodiffer in terms of transparency
and accountability to citizens).
 The
privatesector(businesses, NGOs) also
lacks awareness that it is a
key
actor
in
ODA
implementation.

 Private, non-ODA cooperation forms the basis of bilateralrelationships, on which ODA is based. It is more consistent andless influenced by political factors such as changes ofgovernment. Accordingly, it is necessary to expand and diversify
the channels of international cooperation.
 The new implementation system should be restructured from theviewpoint of a “four-tier structure” inclusive of the private sector asa key actor in ODA (same as 1, 2, and 5 above).
 There is a need to devise measures to provide comprehensive
support to promote public-private partnerships (PPPs), especiallyto assist countries where private businesses are active (Asian
countries, middle-income countries, etc.) and to tackle
environmental issues (including CDM). It is also necessary toestablish a system for reducing risks associated with investmentsin Africa, as it is very likely that private investment will not arise
spontaneously, due to the significant risk factors involved (sameas 10 below).

[23] The OECC shall include representatives of private
businesses and NGOs in its advisory body, the“International Cooperation Strategy Committee.”[24] Establish a “Multi-stakeholder Forum for ODA
Implementation” to enhance the collaboration of theGovernment, the implementing agencies, businesses,
NGOs, universities, etc. to promote international
cooperation.
[25] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the new JICA
shall establish an information-sharing network among
the country-based ODA Task Forces, businesses,
NGOs, researchers, etc.
[26] The Government and the new JICA shall promote
public-private partnerships (PPPs) and design special
facilities to effectively mobilize funds and know-how
from the private sector.

10. Clarify the vision and sharpen the focus
of Japan’s aid to Africa

Tasks

 The basic idea behind thestrategy for support for Africa
has not been clearly defined.
 The Japanese Government
has not presented its vision
for assistance to Africa in2008 and beyond (after its
existing
commitmentof
doubling ODA to Africa by2007). Although the share of
Africa in total Japanese ODA
has remained stable at about
10%, the actual amount has
halved in the past decade.

 As a responsible member of the international community, Japan
should contribute to the development of Africa (“global interest”),
which is a shared concern within the above community. It isnecessary to intensify public relations activities to increase citizen
awareness, based on the recognition that the “global interest” and“national interest” are inseparable in this age of globalization.
Japan should establish a long-term trusting relationship with
African countries by providing assistance to meet theirdevelopment needs.
 There is a need to establish special facilities to reduce risks
associated with investments in Africa and indirectly support private
sector development by using ODA (Examples: CSR support, loan
and investment functions by ODA, partial guarantee function in
PPPs)
There is an urgent need to reinforce the network that connects thefields in African countries, Japan, and the centers of theinternational aid community in order to provide effective assistancein Africa where active aid partnerships are taking place.

[27] The Government shall reform the budget andfunding systems and expand the ODA volume for Africa
in 2008 and beyond, especially in grants.
[28] Establish a committee to specialize in supporting
Africa within the “Multi-stakeholder Forum for ODA
Implementation.”[29] The Government and the new JICA shall selectmodel countries to embody the “aid for graduation”
message and allocate additional aid to them. Humanand financial resources should be concentrated on themodel countries.
[30] The Government and the new JICA shall design
special facilities for Africa to mitigate risks and promoteprivate sector investment.

Please refer to the following website for details in Japanese of the discussions leading up to the formulation of this Manifesto.
http://www.grips.ac.jp/forum/oda_salon/

This English translation of the Manifesto was supported by the British Embassy in Japan.