### Section 4. Operational Status of the Principle of Assistance Implementation

The main objective of ODA is to contribute to the economic development and improvement of welfare of developing countries. $ ^{1} $ Moreover, since Japan’s ODA is sourced by tax revenues, aid must be used in accordance with this objective from the perspective of appropriate disbursement of public funds. Furthermore, Japan’s assistance intends ultimately to contribute to the peace and development of the international community through which Japan ensures its own security and prosperity. Therefore, when providing assistance, concern should not be given solely to the demand for assistance by developing countries, but also be given to the overall state of bilateral relations, including such elements as the trends in military expenditures, the efforts to promote democracy and market-based economies, and the state of basic human rights and freedoms extended by these developing countries. Based on the assistance principles of the ODA Charter (Objectives, Basic Policies, Priority Issues, Priority Regions) Japan is providing support by comprehensively taking into account the developing countries’ need for assistance, socio-economic conditions, and bilateral relations with the recipient country. It is furthermore provided in accordance with the principles of the United Nations (especially sovereign equality and non-intervention in internal affairs), as well as the following points:

## Principles of ODA implementation

(1) Environmental conservation and development should be pursued in tandem.

(2) Any use of ODA for military purposes or for aggravation of international conflicts should be avoided.

(3) Full attention should be paid to trends in recipient countries' military expenditures, their development and production of weapons of mass destruction and missiles, their export and import of arms, etc., so as to maintain and strengthen international peace and stability, including the prevention of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and from the viewpoint that developing countries should place appropriate priorities in the allocation of their resources on their own economic and social development.

(4) Full attention should be paid to efforts for promoting democratization and the introduction of a market-oriented economy, and the situation regarding the protection of basic human rights and freedoms in the developing countries.

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For specific operation regarding the principle of ODA implementation, it is vital that judgments are made not by mechanically adhering to a series of set standards, but by comprehensive evaluation on a case-by-case basis that considers the various conditions in the recipient country, such as the background of the need for ODA and past conditions of the country.

In addition, humanitarian considerations for the people in the developing country must also be taken into account. In the event that development aid is suspended or minimized according to the principle of ODA implementation, it is the ordinary people of these developing countries, in particular the impoverished people, that suffer from the most serious impact. Consequently, even in cases in which it has been decided to suspend or minimize development aid, it is necessary to combine such judgment with measures that give special consideration to the implementation of emergency or humanitarian assistance.

## Consideration on the Environment and Society

In promoting economic development, consideration is needed toward environmental burdens and the effects on the local community. Environmentally speaking, Japan has experienced numerous instances of pollution in the history of its own development such as Minamata disease. Based on this experience, Japan implements development aid carefully in order to minimize adverse impacts on the environment. It is also important to give particular consideration on undesirable effects on the socially disadvantaged, such as the poor and minorities. From this perspective, the implementing agencies, formerly JICA and JBIC, established guidelines for addressing impacts on the environment and society. $ ^{2} $ Equally New JICA, inaugurated in October 2008, maintains vigilance through the use of procedures for preliminary surveys, environmental reviews, as well as monitoring at the implementation stage.

See page 147 for environmental guidelines.