fiscal 1994, Japan has accepted 765 trainees in the field of democratization and has provided financial assistance to elections in 27 countries and regions.

### 4. Responding to Global Issues

## (1) Environmental Conservation

## 14 : Environmental ODA

At the 1992 United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development (the so-called “Earth Summit” held in Rio de Janeiro), Japan announced that it would increase its environmental ODA commitments to between ¥900 billion and ¥1,000 billion for the period of fiscal 1992–1996. The actual amount of assistance came to approximately ¥1,440 billion during this period. This trend has continued in recent years. For example, of the 28 projects contained in Japan’s fourth ODA loan package for China, 16 projects are focused on the environment in response to environmental deterioration triggered by economic growth. Japan is also promoting the “Japan-China Environmental Model Cities Plan” (covering the three cities of Chongqing, Gui Yang, and Dalian). The aim of this initiative is to develop successful examples of air pollution control and air quality improvement and present these as model cases for the rest of China.

## 15 : The Kyoto Initiative (Assistance to Developing Countries for Combating Global Warming)

In view of the third session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change held in Kyoto in December 1997, Japan committed itself to environmental ODA initiatives focused on the problem of global warming as follows: (1) capacity development in fields relevant to global warming, (2) provision of ODA loans related to global warming on the most concessional conditions, and (3) provision of Japanese technology and experiences (know-how). In fiscal 1998, the most favorable ODA loan terms were applied to 20 global-warming related projects amounting to ¥243.3 billion, while about 1,000 people received JICA technical training in related fields.

## (2) Population and AIDS

## 16 : Trends in world population

According to the joint United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the world population is projected to grow from about six billion in 1998 to more than eight billion by 2025. Most of this growth will occur in developing countries.

## 17 : People living with HIV/AIDS

According to the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health Organization (WHO), there were approximately 33.4 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the world as of the end of 1998, and approximately 2.5 million people died of AIDS during 1998.

## 18 : Global Issues Initiative on Population and AIDS (GII)

Japan announced GII as an independent initiative in 1994, which involved the commitment of approximately $3 billion in population and AIDS-related assistance to developing countries during a seven-year period beginning in fiscal 1994. From the perspective of reproductive health, GII contains direct assistance for population and family planning. In addition, GII supports a comprehensive approach to basic health and medical services, primary education for women and children, and the empowerment of women. In Indonesia, for instance, a project has been implemented that uses “mother and child health handbooks,” which has resulted in lower maternal and infant mortality rates. As of the end of fiscal 1998, the cumulative amount of GII-related assistance reached approximately $3.7 billion to already exceed the seven-year goal established in 1994.

### 5. Support for Overcoming the Asian Currency and Economic Crisis and Promotion of Economic Structural Reform

## 19 : Special Yen Loans to assist economic structural reform

This scheme was announced in December 1998 at the Meeting between ASEAN Heads of State/Government and the Leaders of Peoples Republic of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. The aim of the scheme is to stimulate the economies of Asian countries, to promote job creation, and to support infrastructure development conducive to economic structural reform. This program features a special facility of a maximum total of ¥600 billion to be provided over a three-year period on concessional terms. For the time being, the interest rate will be set at 1%, with a repayment period of 40 years.

### 6. Conflict, Disaster and Development

## (1) Conflict and Development

## 20 : Japan’s assistance to Palestine

Over a five-and-half-year period beginning in 1993, Japan provided $436 million in assistance to the Palestinian people. Assistance was provided through international organizations for strengthening administrative organizations, for the development of water and sewerage facilities, school building and other infrastructure projects, and improvement of edu-