13	Sunday, July 20, 2003	Osaka
14	Monday, July 21, 2003	Tokyo
15	Saturday, August 2, 2003	Fukuoka
16	Saturday, September 20, 2003	Mito
17	Sunday, October 5, 2003	Tokyo
18	Sunday, November 2, 2003	Osaka
19	Sunday, December 7, 2003	Yamagata
20	Saturday, February 7, 2004	Kumamoto
21	Saturday, February 28, 2004	Fukui
22	Saturday, March 20, 2004	Nara

Note: The 13th through 15th meetings were held under the name of "public comment on the revised ODA Charter."

specialists such as experts on related fields, members of the Board on Comprehensive ODA Strategy, and staffs of MOfA.

## [3] Dispatch of Monitors

The aim of the ODA Citizen Monitoring Program is to promote a proper understanding of the significance and importance of ODA by giving opportunity to Japanese citizens who have a high interest in ODA and sending them to an ODA-recipient country to conduct an on-site inspection of Japanese ODA projects. This program also enables the obtaining of opinions and insights from citizens. This program was started in fiscal year 1999, and a total of 406 citizens were sent by fiscal year 2003 to developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America to inspect Japanese ODA projects on-site. The citizens who had participated in an inspection tour commented that the inspection deepened their understanding about the necessity of ODA and the contribution made by ODA to the development and stabilization of developing countries. $ ^{34} $ This program is expected to further deepen the understanding of the general public about ODA.

## ☑ Enhancement of public relations activities in the international community

In order to promote correct understanding and recognition of the international community about Japan's active international contribution through ODA, it is important to perform public relations activities overseas as well as in Japan.

In an effort to promote correct understanding in the international community about Japanese assistance activities and wide recognition of Japanese ODA projects, Japan has been performing such public relations activities as allowing the local media to cover signing ceremonies and delivery

Report on ODA Citizen Monitoring Program was submitted to Vice Foreign Minister Ichiro Aisawa.

ceremonies, affixing stickers of the Japanese flag (English, Arabic) or ODA logo (English, French, Spanish, and Arabic) to aid supplies, and placing signs notifying the presence of Japanese ODA.

In ODA-receiving countries, Japan has broadcasted PR TV programs about Japanese ODA by satellite broadcasting or other systems, made arrangements for the local press to take an on-site inspection tour of Japanese ODA projects, and also placed signs at the sites of past projects funded by Yen loans. These efforts were made to widely publicize the Japanese ODA policy and the achievements of ODA programs to the citizens of ODA recipient countries. Moreover, Japanese Embassies in ODA-receiving countries provide various lectures on ODA, provide ODA-related information through their respective websites, and also prepare and distribute PR materials such as leaflets and brochures about Japanese ODA in cooperation with local office of JICA and JBIC. Furthermore, Japan has been making