tigating and checking this issue more effectively and efficiently.

Meanwhile, due to the expansion of ODA and the changes in the international economic situation, the contents and priority areas of Japan's assistance diversified more in this period. In line with the increase in the number of countries receiving assistance, Japan's ODA shifted from its complete focus on Asia until then and increased its share for the Middle East, Africa, Central and South America, and the Pacific region. The first oil shock of 1973, in particular, triggered awareness of the importance of the Middle East region for Japan. Consequently, since then, economic cooperation for the Middle East region has been expanded significantly. The share of the Middle East region in bilateral ODA moved from 0.8% in 1972 until it reached 24.5% in 1977. Subsequently, because of factors such as the stabilization of oil supply and changes in the Japanese structure of energy consumption, the share of the Middle East region hovered at about 10% through the 1980s.

Expansion of assistance for field of basic human needs

In the context of the trends in international assistance at that time, the objective of meeting basic human needs (BHN) was emphasized.

Since the mid-1960s, because the development of developing countries could not make the desired progress, and dissatisfaction with the situation came to be expressed on the side of developing countries, moves increased to review the assistance provided until then, in which economic growth was prioritized. The Pearson Report, $ ^{*1} $ published in the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group in 1969, and the Tinbergen Report $ ^{*2} $ of 1970 launched the philosophy of placing emphasis on support for the BHN field, which advocates sustainable improvement of the welfare of individual as the ultimate goal of development. Meanwhile, then President of the World Bank Robert McNamara set forth the definition of "absolute poverty" in 1973, while proposing a development strategy aimed at reduction of poverty. The trend in international assistance shifted from assistance placing emphasis on the economic growth to assistance oriented toward measures for poverty reduction in developing countries.

Drawing upon this shift in the international trend of assistance, Japan, too, expanded assistance for BHN and assistance for human resources development.

In 1979, then Prime Minister Masayoshi Ohira made a speech on Japanese assistance's strategy of placing emphasis on human resources development at the Fifth General Assembly of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), announcing that assistance for the BHN field would be actively conducted. In addition, the rate of support for the BHN field, comprised of agriculture, forestry and fishery, education, social infrastructure, welfare, health care, food assistance, and emergency assistance, was about 10% until 1977, but rose to 23% in 1978, and had been hovering in the 20-39% range since then.

Meanwhile, the first oil shock reminded people of the aspect of securing natural resources including oil as an objective for assistance. This lesson gradually led to the strong recognition of the interdependent relationship with developing countries.

## Movement to systematize the philosophy

In the 1980s, a movement to systematically compile the philosophy of Japan's ODA had emerged. This was because, in line with the completion of payment of reparations in 1976 and the quantitative expansions of Japan's ODA, it was indispensable to require the understanding of the public regarding why the assistance for developing countries was necessary.

In such circumstances, MOfA compiled under the editorship of the Director General of the Economic Cooperation Bureau a report entitled "Economic Cooperation: Present and Future--North-South Problems and Development Assistance." This report calls for the establishment of a philosophy of assistance based on economic security in the broad sense and considers Japan's economic cooperation not only as an international responsibility but also for a special significance because of the international environment in which Japan is placed. The report mentions the following two points.

## $ ^{*} $ 1 Pearson Report

Based on a request by then President of the World Bank Robert McNamara, former Prime Minister of Canada Lester Pearson created and chaired a seven-member commission, which produced this report relating to the development strategy in the 1970s. Published at the annual meeting of the World Bank and the IMF in 1969, it recommended the target of making ODA 0.7% of GNP and the target regarding conditions for the provision of loans.

## $ ^{*} $ 2 Tinbergen Report

Report in which the UN Committee for Development Planning, by Dutch economist Jan Tinbergen, set out the desirable form of development in the 1970s. Recommended and proposed the "Second UN Development Decade."