with relatively similar situations in aspects such as natural, cultural, economic and social circumstances as well as development stages to implement effective and efficient cooperation. At the same time, it would also be able to develop future donor countries through the support for other developing countries. Japan has supported South-South cooperation through ODA and is the world-leader in this field.

For example, Japan concluded the Japan Thailand Partnership Program (JTPP) with Thailand in 1994 (and concluded Phase II, its successor program, in 2003), and both countries have been promoting support that they implement jointly for other developing countries. The JTPP uses Thai human resources developed through Japan's technical cooperation, and both Japan and Thailand cooperate to implement support activities for other developing countries. In fiscal year 2004, for trainees from neighboring countries, it is planned to implement training in Thailand (third-country training) in fields including agricultural and road development and tourism. In implementing such assistance, Japan conducts a series of operations-plan formation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation-jointly with Thailand. Furthermore, from the perspective of applying Asia's development experience to Africa, Japan tries actively to promote Asian-African cooperation with Asian countries, and South-South cooperation received considerable coverage at the Third Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD III) in 2003.

The ultimate goal of assistance for developing countries is to support their economic takeoff and independence. From this perspective, promotion of South-South cooperation is meaningful.

## Section 3 Japan's Contribution in Developing Countries' Human Resource Development

Nation-building starts with human resource development

"Human resource development" is key to nation-building. This is based upon Japan's belief rooted in its own development experience, and in its experience through providing international cooperation in East Asia. Satisfactory accomplishments cannot be obtained in resolving the development issues of a developing country without the self-help efforts of the country itself. In turn, a developing country cannot succeed in its self-help efforts without having the excellent human resources that would play a leading role in its development. Developing outstanding human resources that could be leaders in nation building in developing countries and thereby securing human resources that could be mobilized for development are vital to ensure through building the governance capacity of developing countries—the success of medium and

## Contribution to human resource development in Asia

• Education: Constructed 600 schools in 12 provinces nationwide (Yen loans)

• Vocational training: Fostered 665 of the 2,200 vocational training instructors at 153 vocational training centers nationwide

● King Mongkut's Institute of Technology, Ladkrabang: Producing doctoral graduates in the field of electrical engineering, which are few in number in Thailand

Vietnam

• Elementary schools: Provided support for approximately 10% of the new elementary schools (293 schools) developed from 1995 to 2002 (grant aid cooperation)

• Training of electrical engineers: Trained 20% of all instructors in the only junior college producing power engineers

• Coal workers' safety education: Implemented safety education for 85% of all coalmine workers (approximately 20,000 workers)

• Vocational training schools: Provided support for two of the 15 vocational training strategic focus schools (approximately 13%)

## Examples of contributions in JICA-based technical cooperation (totals to FY2002)

• Acceptance of trainees from the Asian region (156,922 trainees, 60.5% of the total)

● Dispatch of experts to the Asian region (40,418 experts, 59.5% of the total)

● Dispatch of survey missions to the Asian region (96,624 survey officials, 55.2% of the total)