and thereupon appealed to the rest of the international community about the importance of the said assistance. In 1993, Japan worked together with such international organizations as the United Nations (UN), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the World Bank in holding the First Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD I). With the participation of 79 countries, including 48 from Africa, the European Commission (EC), and 26 multilateral organizations, TICAD I served to realign the international community's waning interest in Africa.

The issues of poverty, infectious diseases, food supply, and others faced by Africa are potential factors for instability within the international community. Moreover, it is not possible to resolve issues of global-scale, including climate change, terrorism, and energy security, without the participation of Africa. Just as then Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori said on the first visit by an incumbent prime minister of Japan to Sub-Saharan Africa in 2001, “There will be no stability and prosperity in the world in the 21st century unless the problems of Africa are resolved.”

The establishment of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2001 also raised the international community’s interest in African development. The MDGs set numerical targets to be achieved by 2015. Thereupon, donor countries made efforts to focus assistance funds in a selective manner, contributing to an international momentum for prioritizing Africa where the achievement of the MDGs was thought to be difficult. Meanwhile, African countries have steadily engendered a posture of identifying and resolving development issues through ownership (self-help), such as represented by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). $ ^{1} $ They started to demand donor countries, mainly advanced nations, to act as partners in the international community.

As a result, official development assistance (ODA) from Development Assistance Committee (DAC) members to Sub-Saharan Africa increased from approximately US$8,162.07 million in 2001 to approximately US$20,772.58 million (provisional value) in 2007.

### 2. G8 Summit and African Development

African issues have been a key topic of discussion at the G8 Summit since 2000. That year, Japan invited the leaders of African countries (the presidents of Algeria, Nigeria, and South Africa) for the first time to the G8 Kyushu-Okinawa Summit where they were able to hold discussions with the G8 leaders. This occasion helped to heighten concern by the G8 in African development.

At the G8 Kananaskis Summit in 2002, the G8 Africa Action Plan was adopted. Later, at the G8 Gleneagles Summit in 2005, it was forecasted that development funds to Africa would be increased and the G8 agreed on reinforced assistance for Africa. Just before the G8 Gleneagles Summit at the Asia-Africa Summit, Japan announced that it would double its ODA to Africa in the ensuing three years. Then at the G8 Gleneagles Summit, Japan also stated that it would expand its ODA projects worldwide to US$10 billion within five years. At the G8 Heiligendamm Summit in 2007, African issues were a major topic of discussion along with the global economy. At the discussions, the G8 acknowledged the importance of steady implementation of the previous commitments. The G8 leaders also shared the awareness that they should present themselves as trustworthy partners for African countries. In addition, the G8 indicated the importance of supporting the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), as well as holding dialogue to allow emerging donor countries such as China to play a constructive role. Agreement was thus made on having a high-level dialogue for two years ending in 2009 (Heiligendamm Process) on matters such as investment and development between the G8 and five major emerging countries (Brazil, China, India, Mexico, and South Africa).

### 3. Japan’s Leadership at TICAD IV and the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit

## (1) World Economic Forum (Davos Meeting)

In his special address at the Davos Meeting held in Switzerland in January 2008, then Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda presented Japan’s Cool Earth Promotion Programme declaring the issue of climate change to be the largest theme of the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit. With regard to another key issue, African development, he clarified Japan’s