due to their cultural backgrounds. At the same time, attention will be paid so that human rights and the dignity of individuals are not threatened in the name of culture.

vi. Cross-sectoral assistance that mobilizes a range of professional expertise

People in countries subject to poverty and conflict face structurally complex problems. In order to address these problems, analyses will be made of their causes and structure, and specialist expertise in various fields will be mobilized as necessary so as to provide cross-sectional assistance.

* Two concrete examples of projects are presented to help understanding of human security in the appendix. Examples of the “human security” perspective are not limited to those projects. Japan will make an effort to reflect the perspective in its ODA.

### 3. Priority Issues

Priority issues will be addressed in line with the following basic principles outlined in the ODA Charter: provision of support for the self-help efforts (“ownership”) of developing countries, adoption of the “human security” perspective, ensuring equity (including the perspective of gender and consideration of socially vulnerable people), utilization of Japan’s experience and expertise (including ensuring overall policy coherence), and action in concert with the international community (including South-South Cooperation).

## (1) Poverty Reduction

### i. Japan’s position on poverty reduction

(a) In developing regions, around 1.1 billion people live in poverty on less than US$1 a day. To deal with this situation, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were adopted following the United Nations Millennium Summit in September 2000, establishing targets to be achieved by 2015 relating to poverty reduction, gender equality, health and education, HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, and environmental sustainability. MDGs are goals that the international community should work in concert to achieve in order to build a better world. Japan will contribute actively to achieving the MDGs, including through effective use of ODA.

(b) Poverty has not only an economic dimension, such as low income and expenditure, but also social and political dimensions exemplified by lack of access to basic social services such as education and public health services, gender inequality, and lack of opportunities to participate in the decision-making process. The MDGs consist to a large extent of targets relating to the social sector, such as education and public health. At the same time, as the experience of development in East Asia demonstrates, sustained economic growth is a necessary condition for reducing poverty. Therefore, poverty reduction should be pursued comprehensively through actions that address both the economic and social dimensions.

(c) The factors that constitute poverty in each country are a complex combination of elements of economic structure, politics, culture, society, history and geography specific to that country. Therefore, assistance needs to be implemented taking fully into consideration the particular circumstances of each country. From this viewpoint, Japan will contribute to the poverty reduction strategies formulated by developing countries, and provide assistance in line with such strategies.

ii. Approach to poverty reduction and specific actions

(a) Cross-sectoral assistance that is tailored to the stages of development

The underlying causes of poverty are diverse, and the poor face a range of problems. Therefore, in order to effectively reduce poverty, there is a need for cross-sectoral assistance. Prior to the formulation of projects, efforts will accordingly be made to determine the poverty situation of each country and region and to analyze the needs of the poor. In order to