proposal to focus on health, water, and education from the perspective of human security.

## (2) G8 Development Ministers' Meeting

The G8 Development Ministers’ Meeting was held in Tokyo on April 5-6, 2008. Emerging donor countries and major countries in Asia (Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Republic of Korea, and South Africa), UN organizations, the World Bank, and multilateral organizations from Asia and Africa also participated in the meeting. The G8 Development Ministers’ Meeting has been held since 2002 in the preparatory process for the G8 summit, and this was the first year that Japan has hosted it. At the meeting, overall agreement was reached among the G8 on the direction of development issues for TICAD IV and the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit. The G8 also reaffirmed their commitment to reinforce respective development aid efforts. In addition, the G8 affirmed the importance of gaining participation of emerging aid donors mainly from Asia, in order that the entire international community, including emerging as well as developed countries, produces a higher level of development results.

Then Minister for Foreign Affairs Masahiko Koumura giving a press conference at the G8 Development Ministers' Meeting

## (3) Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV)

TICAD IV was held on May 28-30, 2008 in Yokohama. The conference was attended by more than 3,000 people including representatives from 51 African countries (of which 41 were heads of state level representatives including Jean Ping, African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson), representatives from 34 donor and Asian countries, 77 multilateral and regional organizations, as well as participants from the private sector, civil society, and celebrities.

During his keynote speech at the opening ceremony for TICAD IV, then Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda announced Japan’s intention to double its ODA to Africa by 2012, which was agreed on by the Overseas Economic Cooperation Council, as well as assistance for doubling private investments in Africa. $ ^{2} $ Japan’s commitment towards African aid was praised by leaders of various African countries, including AU Chairperson Jakaya Kikwete, President of the United Republic of Tanzania. The leaders also expressed their expectations for expanded trade and investments with Japan.

At TICAD IV, the Yokohama Declaration was adopted as an outcome document for the conference, signifying the importance of orchestrating the knowledge and resources of the entire global community in achieving the objective of sustained, accelerated African development based on ownership (self-help) by African countries and the partnership of the international community. In addition, the Yokohama Action Plan, a roadmap outlining specific undertakings within the TICAD process, and the TICAD Follow-up Mechanism, a mechanism for verifying the implementation of the process, were announced.

See Chapter 2 for details on TICAD IV discussions.

Moreover, on the first day of the conference, May 28, the first Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prizes were awarded to Dr. Brian Greenwood for contributions in medical research and Dr. Miriam Were for contributions in medical service at a ceremony with the presence of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan. The Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize awards individuals who have made significant accomplishments in the fields of medical research and services for the control of infectious and other diseases in Africa. The prize was first announced by then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi during his visit to Ghana in 2006. TICAD IV participants also welcomed the prize as contributing to the promotion of medical research, and medical and healthcare services in Africa, expressing their expectations for the future development of the prize.