In addition, cooperation for combating infectious diseases which transcend national borders is also underway. Japan is proactively working on countermeasures for the tropical disease Chagas disease. After the cooperation started in Guatemala in 2002, the target region expanded to include El Salvador and Honduras as well in 2004. Another example of region-wide cooperation is the highly acclaimed Project for the Improvement of Teaching Methods in Mathematics (PROMETAM $ ^{84} $ ), which was implemented in Honduras in 2003 for raising the basic academic ability of the region, and has been expanded to more countries such as Guatemala and Nicaragua.

For the Caribbean Community, Japan has implemented the first region-wide development study $ ^{85} $ (with the Caribbean Community as the partner agency) into the fishing and aquaculture industries, while support is being provided for MERCOSUR within the tourism sector. $ ^{86} $

Japan takes a region-wide approach in its assistance system. Concerned parties within Japan are added to the membership of local ODA taskforces in Central America to perform activities aiming for the formation of region-wide projects that clarify priority areas of region-wide cooperation.

## South-South Cooperation

Japan strengthens ties and implements South-South Cooperation with donor countries of the region. It has entered into partnership with Chile, Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico and is providing third-country training and dispatching experts from third countries to other major countries in the Latin American and Caribbean region. For example, in cooperation with Brazil, Japan has dispatched Japanese-descended Brazilians to hospitals in the African country of Angola (where Portuguese is spoken as in Brazil), and

(Source: EPA=Jiji)

implemented projects for improving the quality of nursing services, developing human resources and so on. Also, in a joint arrangement with the Government of Mexico it is extending technical cooperation in Central America and other countries.

### 7. Oceania

Japan’s bilateral assistance to Oceania in 2007 was approximately US$70.29 million, 1.2% of total bilateral ODA.

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Japan and the Pacific countries, which share the Pacific Ocean, have strong historical ties and maintain friendly relations. Countries in this region have an immense Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The region provides an important fishing ground for Japan’s deep-sea fisheries industry, as well as strategic stops for maritime transportation. As such, peace and prosperity in this region are extremely important for Japan. Many Pacific Island countries have achieved independence relatively recently and the priority issues are to establish socially and economically self-reliant states. In addition, these countries face a number of common difficulties peculiar to island nations, such as small-scale economies, dependence on primary industries, geographic dispersion, lack of access to international markets, vulnerability to natural disasters, and the risk of losing land territory. Furthermore, the region faces many problems deriving from conflict based mainly on ethnicity. This includes political disruption in Fiji and political instability in the Solomon Islands, and problems relating to democratization, such as riots in Tonga. Based on such circumstances, and as a friendly partner in Oceania, Japan provides assistance taking into account the individual situation of each country, and common problems of the region.

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To achieve political stability and economic development in Oceania, it is essential to overcome social and economic weaknesses and pursue regional cooperation. Japan has promoted cooperation with the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), a framework for regional cooperation composed of the leaders of the Pacific countries. The Japan-Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Summit Meeting, a leaders' meeting of Japan and the PIF countries, was held a total of four times, once in