nounced an aid package. In its 1999 “Development Co-operation Review Series: Japan,” the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD acknowledged that Japan’s aid was a “key element in helping to maintain stability and to move from crisis to recovery.” It has also been frequently acknowledged that this type of support has enhanced Asian countries’ confidence in Japan.

Asian countries are now emerging from the crisis and searching for ways to advance their economic development through closer regional cooperation. Such reinforcement of regional ties has long been a priority for Japan, which is

### TOPIC I. FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE COLOMBO PLAN

On October 6, 1954, the Japanese government adopted a cabinet decision to become a member of the Colombo Plan and launched government-based technical cooperation activities on that day.

The Colombo Plan was the first international agency established to assist developing countries after World War II. Its formal name is the Colombo Plan for Cooperative Economic and Social Development in Asia and the Pacific. Its objectives are to promote economic and social development and raise living standards in the Asia-Pacific region, primarily through technical cooperation. The Colombo Plan’s activities commenced in 1951.

Japan’s dramatic development in the postwar period was made possible through the assistance received from international organizations like the World Bank and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) as well as from foreign governments. Japan received food, clothing, and other relief supplies in addition to financial assistance for the construction of railways, roads, and other infrastructure. Japan’s participation in the Colombo Plan marked its transition from an aid recipient to an aid donor. In 1987 Japan decided to commemorate this historic milestone by designating October 6—the date it joined the Colombo Plan—as “International Cooperation Day.” Every year on this date, the International Cooperation Festival and related events are held throughout the country.

The fiftieth anniversary of the Colombo Plan in 2001 was marked with a ceremony and the holding of the thirty-eighth session of the Consultative Committee in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Those attending the ceremony included the prime minister of Sri Lanka and the Japanese ambassador to that nation. Speakers looked back on activities over the past 50 years and emphasized the need to take advantage of advances in information and communications technology (ICT). They also stressed the importance of South-South cooperation. Apart from the events stated above, the anniversary was marked by the publication of an anniversary booklet and the issuance of commemorative stamps and coins. There was also a painting contest for schoolchildren.

As noted by speakers at the ceremony, the Colombo Plan has in recent years put considerable effort into South-South cooperation in response to a proposal from Japan. Donations for this purpose amounted to $300,000 in fiscal year 2001. The initiative to promote South-South cooperation is in keeping with the spirit of Japan's ODA Charter, which was adopted by the cabinet in 1992. South-South cooperation is also one of the priorities identified in Japan's Medium-Term Policy on ODA, which was announced in 1999.