part of the important measures for peace building.

To establish peace in countries and regions where disturbances and conflicts have destroyed basic frameworks of nations such as East Timor, Afghanistan, and Africa, ODA plays an important role in providing urgent humanitarian aid, reconstruction support, and nation rebuilding assistance. One of the most important goals of ODA is the consolidation of peace, which means to make the peace process irreversible by spreading peace activities and the resulting effects from the policy level to the grassroots level.

Japan has taken specific measures to establish peace in such countries and regions as Cambodia, Kosovo, East Timor, Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, and Africa. Japan will continue its active support for Afghanistan, Iraq, and other countries and regions in order to consolidate peace and carry out nation-building, and will also study and implement measures to promote peace in Sri Lanka, Aceh in Indonesia, and Mindanao in the Philippines through ODA programs.

## (1) Iraq

The international community including Japan must, through international cooperation, give Iraq support for the consolidation of peace and the rebuilding of the nation without giving in to terrorism so that postwar Iraq can become a stable power in the Middle East. For the people of Iraq and also for the peace and stability of the Middle East and the international community, it is very important to reconstruct Iraq as a peaceful democratic state with sovereignty and territory. It has direct effects on the interests of Japan, which depends on the Middle East for almost 90% of its oil resources.

At the Donors' Conference for Iraq held in Madrid in October 2003, Japan announced that it would, as "initial assistance," provide grant aid totaling 1.5 billion dollars mostly for reconstruction of lifelines for the Iraqi people such as electricity supply, education, water supply, hygiene, health and employment as well as for the restoration of public safety. In addition, for the medium-term rebuilding efforts scheduled for a period until 2007, Japan will offer assistance of up to 3.5 billion dollars basically in the form of Yen loans for the development of infrastructure for telecommunication and transportation. Regarding the above-mentioned grant aid of 1.5 billion dollars, Japan was quick to commence humanitarian and reconstruction assistance and already provided or decided to provide approximately 1.15 billion dollars during the period from March 2003 until the end of July 2004.

Japan considers that humanitarian assistance and ODA should go hand in hand like "two wheels at both ends of an axle" and is thus providing Iraq with both types of assistance under the Law Concerning the Special Measures on Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance in Iraq such as the dispatch of Self-Defense Forces to Iraq in consideration of the local security situation. Concrete positive results of Japan's efforts have been observed mainly in Samawah in Al-Muthanna. Despite the very severe conditions in Iraq, the unit of Ground Self-Defense Force dispatched to Iraq has been demonstrating its capabilities to the fullest in such activities as the restoration and maintenance of water supply systems, medical institutions, and other public facilities. Those activities have greatly contributed to the security and stability of lives of local residents. Regarding reconstruction assistance through ODA programs, support has been given for various projects including the restoration and maintenance of electric power facilities, water supply systems, hygiene, medical institutions, and other public facilities. According to a calculation of the effects of the assistance, these projects created employment for approximately 1,700 people per day and for more than 90,000 people in total.

## (a) Direct Assistance to Iraq

Placing a high priority on improving public security, Iraq reconstructed its police organization through training and placement of police officers. The police, however, had a shortage of vehicles and other basic equipment and materials. In order to solve this shortage, Japan provided 1,150 police cars to Iraq's Interior Ministry, which plans to distribute them throughout Iraq.

Since the beginning of 2004, Japan has decided to implement projects including the "Provision of Fire-trucks to Al-Muthanna," in which 70 fire-trucks were provided to Baghdad, Al Basra and Al-Muthanna, where Samawah is located (approximately 20 million dollars); the "Rehabilitation of and provision of equipment to general hospitals in the South," in which medical equipment was rehabilitated at and provided to four general hospitals in Nasiriyah, Najaf,

Plan for the provision of police vehicles to Iraq