Tokyo International Conference on African Development
Encyclopedia
is a conference held every five years in Tokyo
, Japan
, with the objective "to promote high-level policy dialogue between African leaders and development partners." Japan is a co-host of these conferences. Other co-organizers of TICAD are the United Nations
Office of the Special Advisor on Africa (UN-OSSA) and the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP). The series has included: TICAD I (1993); TICAD II (1998); TICAD III (2003); and TICAD IV (2008). The next conference is scheduled for 2013.
TICAD has been an evolving element in Japan's long-term commitment to fostering peace and stability in Africa through collaborative partnerships. In this context, Japan has stressed the importance of "Africa's ownership" of its development as well as of the "partnership" between Africa and the international community. The exchange of views amongst the conference delegates serves to underscore the case for more, not less assistance from the major world economies.
(NEPAD), a strategy for development designed by Africans themselves. Earlier TICAD meetings have also resulted in key outcomes, in particular when Japan is hosting the G8, as it is in 2008. In 2000, for example, Japan hosted the Okinawa G8 Summit and invited leaders from several African countries to attend. Ideas proposed at TICAD II were also taken up by the G8 in the creation of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Delegations from 48 African nations participated in the conference, including four heads of state: Twelve other nations sent delegations; and a number of international organizations also attended as delegates and as observers.
Invitations were extended to a number of African countries and others. Some heads of state decided to attend; and a range of government ministers and others were amongst the participants in the conference.
. African countries and their development partners reviewed the achievements of the ten-year TICAD process, and there was discussion about future direction TICAD should take.
Invitations were extended to a number of African countries and others. Some heads of state decided to attend; and a range of government ministers and others were amongst the participants in the conference.
TICAD IV (May 2008) was convened in Yokohama
. In its 15-year history, this was the first time the conference was be convened in a city other than Tokyo. Yokohama is preparing to mark the 150th anniversary of the opening of the port and the 120th anniversary of the commencement of the City Administration. In this context, TICAD IV and the slogan, Yokohama Meets Africa were intended to underscore the international character of the port and city.
This year's meeting was the most heavily attended of the four TICAD events. Responding to the invitation were 51 African nations (all except Somalia), 17 African organisations, 12 Asian nations, 22 donor nations, and 55 international organizations, with a total of about 2,500 delegates. These included 40 presidents or prime ministers of African countries, twice the number of those present at TICAD III (2003). Also in Yokohama were organizers associated with "official side events" and other participants in the conference.
TICAD IV consisted of plenary sessions and twenty-four "thematic" sessions. TICAD focused on strategies for better mobilizing the knowledge and resources of the international community in the core areas of: (a) economic growth; (b) human security, including achieving the UN's Millennium Development Goals
; and (c) environment/climate change issues. In addition, TICAD IV tried to identify possible inter-linkages within the context of the G8
Hokkaidō Tōyako Summit
in July 2008. In this context, World Bank and International Monetary Fund Development Committee Executive Secretary Kiyoshi Kodera spoke at a pre-event meeting in which he arguing that everyone needs to "accept the harsh reality" that sub-Saharan Africa
n countries will remain heavily dependent on foreign aid until they find a new growth path.
Attending the conference were representatives of the World Bank
, the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP), a number of donor countries, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other relevant agencies. The shared perspectives of the conference delegates serves to underscore the case for immediate assistance to help Africa’s vulnerable economies to weather the current global food and fuel crisis. Participants agreed that emergency food aid was necessary, but it was also necessary to carry out medium-to-long-term interventions, with special attention on the division of roles and complementarity among various development agencies.
Smaller scale projects were also included in the TICAD agenda. At this year's conference, the Japanese introduced a projected JICA investment in replicating the "One Village One Product movement
" (OVOP) in African contexts. In this context, the President of Malawi's visit to Japan also included a visit to OVOP headquarters in Osaka.
committed the government to extending yen-denominated loans worth up to ¥415-billion (US$ 4-billion) and financial assistance totaling about ¥260-billion (US$ 2.5-billion) over the next five years. Fukuda also committed the government to establishing a fund at the Japan Bank for International Cooperation
aimed at doubling investment in Africa. The financial assistance will be provided through the fund over the next five years to help develop road networks and other traffic infrastructure. The Japanese Prime Minister also announced plans to deploy a "water defense force" tasked with providing instruction in water management. Moreover, Fukuda explained that his government aims to help foster as many as 100,000 experts in the health and medicine fields.
Fukuda's announcement that Japan will extend generous assistance to African countries in spite of its tight financial condition is aimed at burnishing Japan's credentials in the international community. Prime Minister Fukuda's speech was designed to strengthen Japan's leadership as host of the G-8 meeting because aid to Africa will be an important item on the meeting's agenda. Another reason for the government's magnanimity is that Japan is trying to strengthen its relations with African countries to win their support for its bid to gain a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. The Japanese government learned a lesson from the failure of its 2005 campaign for permanent membership at the Security Council: Support from African countries, which account for one-fourth of U.N. membership, is construed as indispensable if Japan is to succeed in its bid. In his speech, Fukuda said, "Japan would like to work on U.N. Security Council reform in cooperation with its African friends."
Fukuda's actions during TICAD attracted media attention for what some journalists called the "marathon of mini-summits." In two days, the 71-year-old Prime Minister of Japan met one by one with 40 leaders of African nations, dedicating approximately twenty minutes to each one; and he also met with seven private sector Africa supporters. In addition, the Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Akira Amari met with African leaders in an effort to work towards developing closer relationships with countries participating in the conference.
During TICAD week, Amari met with the leaders of Angola, Gabon and Uganda on Tuesday and Wednesday (May 27–28). Amari met with the leaders of Madagascar, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa and Namibia on Thursday (May 29); and he met on Friday (May 30) with the leader of Nigeria. These Africa leaders are mainly exporters of resources necessary for manufacturers in Japan. For example, Nigeria is the biggest oil producer in Africa, and Angola has promising oil reserves. South Africa produces zirconium
that is used for nuclear fuel rods, while the Democratic Republic of Congo produces cobalt
, which is used by many industries for various purposes.
In this context, the recent Forum on China-Africa Cooperation
(FOCAC) in 2006 can be said to have marked a watershed for Africa’s economic relations. The summit re-awakened the world’s major powers not only to China’s growing strategic influence in Africa but also highlighted Africa’s increasing importance. In recent years, China has been providing large-scale assistance to African countries with the aim of securing a stake in the rich natural resources in the African continent; and India has been doing the same.
The conference provided a venue for non-governmental entities to expand a range of high-level contacts. In addition to the World Bank, an African Development Bank
(AfDB) group delegation led by the institution's president, Donald Kaberuka
, attended TICAD-IV. Also amongst the 2,500 attendees were academics, such as the president of Tsukuba University in Japan and Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz of Columbia University
.
There were instances when the conference did not go as Japan expected. For instance, the Japanese government planned to include a statement in the Yokohama Declaration to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent from current levels by 2050. However, the government withdrew this provision after encountering fierce opposition from South Africa, a major polluter.
TICAD summits underscore the importance Asian economic and political competitors place on getting on the right side of African leaders many of whom are sitting on huge mineral, oil and other resources. Africa is also emerging as a last frontier for financial investors. The continent also offers a growing market for low-end manufactured goods that are no longer exportable to the developed countries of Europe and America.
African perspective
The Africans arrived in Yokohama with a number of their own well-thought out agendas. Some voices argued that it would be better if Africa attended TICAD-V (2013) with a continental-wide agenda which could then be broken up into country-specific strategies which could be more fully explored during the subsequent bilateral meetings. Drawing up a common agenda detailing the trade and investment issues would seem a plausible strategy because the nations of the continent are grappling with similar challenge which include poor infrastructure and trade terms that are weighted heavily against Africa. In a sense, Thabo Mbeki embraced this continental strategy as he suggested that Africa's future economic growth should happen through trade and not aid. Mbeki said, "Without discounting the importance of aid, improved terms of trade for Africa are critical to ensure its full integration into the global economy." He also observed that "market access alone does not always translate in the ability for the developing countries to penetrate competitive world markets."
were planned to coincide with TICAD IV; and the conference venue was moved from Tokyo to Yokohama as another way of honoring the man after whom the prize was named. In 1899, Dr. Noguchi worked at the Yokohama Port Quarantine Office as an assistant quarantine doctor.
The initial Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize
were conferred in conjunction with TICAD IV. This prize was created in honor of Hideyo Noguchi
, who was a prominent Japanese bacteriologist who discovered the agent of syphilis
in 1911, and who died in Africa while working towards the development of a vaccine for virulent yellow fever
.
The first laureates of the Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize, like Noguchi himself, are both medical doctors with a career-long interest in epidemiology and public health. They are Dr. Brian Greenwood
and Dr. Miriam Were
. For the honorees, the Prize represents both an acknowledgment of their past accomplishments and an investment in their prospective contributions in the years ahead. Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda made the actual award presentation; and the Emperor and Empress were present at the 2008 ceremony along with a large number of African heads of state.
With significantly large money prizes attending this award, the Noguchi Prize already rivals the major established scientific awards. From the outset, the 2008 Noguchi Prizes—consisting of a citation, a medal and an honorarium of 100 million yen (US$843,668) -- were only intended to be the first in a continuing series; and subsequent prizes are expected to be awarded every five years.
The prize, officially named "The Prize in Recognition of Outstanding Achievements in the Fields of Medical Research and Medical Services in Africa Awarded in Memory of Dr. Hideyo Noguchi," is managed by Japan International Cooperation Agency
(JICA).
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, with the objective "to promote high-level policy dialogue between African leaders and development partners." Japan is a co-host of these conferences. Other co-organizers of TICAD are the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Office of the Special Advisor on Africa (UN-OSSA) and the United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their own solutions to...
(UNDP). The series has included: TICAD I (1993); TICAD II (1998); TICAD III (2003); and TICAD IV (2008). The next conference is scheduled for 2013.
TICAD has been an evolving element in Japan's long-term commitment to fostering peace and stability in Africa through collaborative partnerships. In this context, Japan has stressed the importance of "Africa's ownership" of its development as well as of the "partnership" between Africa and the international community. The exchange of views amongst the conference delegates serves to underscore the case for more, not less assistance from the major world economies.
Conference chronology
The TICAD conferences were intended to help to promote high-level policy dialogue amongst African leaders and their development partners. It emerged in 1993 after the end of the Cold War in an era of 'aid fatigue' among donor countries, and was critical in regenerating strong donor interest in Africa. TICAD has evolved into a major global forum to promote development on the continent under the principles of African "ownership" and international "partnership." These concepts became essential factors in the launch of the New Economic Partnership for Africa's DevelopmentNew Partnership for Africa's Development
The New Partnership for Africa's Development is an economic development program of the African Union. NEPAD was adopted at the 37th session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in July 2001 in Lusaka, Zambia...
(NEPAD), a strategy for development designed by Africans themselves. Earlier TICAD meetings have also resulted in key outcomes, in particular when Japan is hosting the G8, as it is in 2008. In 2000, for example, Japan hosted the Okinawa G8 Summit and invited leaders from several African countries to attend. Ideas proposed at TICAD II were also taken up by the G8 in the creation of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
TICAD-I
TICAD I was held in 1993. African countries and their development partners discussed strategies for taking steps toward greater African stability and prosperity. TICAD was formed at a time when the international community’s interest in Africa was starting to wane, and donor fatigue was setting in. This conference produced the "Tokyo Declaration on African Development."Delegations from 48 African nations participated in the conference, including four heads of state: Twelve other nations sent delegations; and a number of international organizations also attended as delegates and as observers.
Analysis
The conference was considered promising, but prospects remained uncertain. In the decades since that beginning, TICAD's quality has evolved in both complexity and quality. The emphasis has shifted from TICAD-I's relatively simple issues of direct aid to more multi-faceted and inter-related topics which combine in sustainable development programs.TICAD-II
TICAD II in 1998. African countries and their development partners agreed on the "Tokyo Agenda for Action" (TAA), which was intended to become a commonly understood strategic- and action-oriented set of guidelines. Poverty reduction in Africa and Africa's fuller integration into the global economy were recognized a fundamental goals. Following the TICAD II, a 2001 ministerial conference provided opportunity to discuss NEPAD.Invitations were extended to a number of African countries and others. Some heads of state decided to attend; and a range of government ministers and others were amongst the participants in the conference.
TICAD-III
TICAD III was held in 2003, bringing together over 1000 delegates, including 23 heads of state and the Chairperson of the African UnionAfrican Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
. African countries and their development partners reviewed the achievements of the ten-year TICAD process, and there was discussion about future direction TICAD should take.
Invitations were extended to a number of African countries and others. Some heads of state decided to attend; and a range of government ministers and others were amongst the participants in the conference.
Analysis
The increase in numbers of heads of state attending signaled the modest acceptance of the forum as a potentially effective venue. Participants reaffirmed the contributions of the TICAD process to African development, noting its role in mobilizing the international community's interest and commitment to African development. In the years since TICAD-III, there has been the Africa-China, Africa-India and EU-AU summits, among others.TICAD-IV
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
. In its 15-year history, this was the first time the conference was be convened in a city other than Tokyo. Yokohama is preparing to mark the 150th anniversary of the opening of the port and the 120th anniversary of the commencement of the City Administration. In this context, TICAD IV and the slogan, Yokohama Meets Africa were intended to underscore the international character of the port and city.
This year's meeting was the most heavily attended of the four TICAD events. Responding to the invitation were 51 African nations (all except Somalia), 17 African organisations, 12 Asian nations, 22 donor nations, and 55 international organizations, with a total of about 2,500 delegates. These included 40 presidents or prime ministers of African countries, twice the number of those present at TICAD III (2003). Also in Yokohama were organizers associated with "official side events" and other participants in the conference.
TICAD IV consisted of plenary sessions and twenty-four "thematic" sessions. TICAD focused on strategies for better mobilizing the knowledge and resources of the international community in the core areas of: (a) economic growth; (b) human security, including achieving the UN's Millennium Development Goals
Millennium Development Goals
The Millennium Development Goals are eight international development goals that all 193 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015...
; and (c) environment/climate change issues. In addition, TICAD IV tried to identify possible inter-linkages within the context of the G8
G8
The Group of Eight is a forum, created by France in 1975, for the governments of seven major economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 1997, the group added Russia, thus becoming the G8...
Hokkaidō Tōyako Summit
34th G8 summit
The 34th G8 summit took place in on the northern island of Hokkaidō, Japan from July 7–9, 2008. The locations of previous summits to have been hosted by Japan include: Tokyo ; and Nago, Okinawa . The G8 Summit has evolved beyond being a gathering of world political leaders...
in July 2008. In this context, World Bank and International Monetary Fund Development Committee Executive Secretary Kiyoshi Kodera spoke at a pre-event meeting in which he arguing that everyone needs to "accept the harsh reality" that sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa as a geographical term refers to the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara. A political definition of Sub-Saharan Africa, instead, covers all African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara...
n countries will remain heavily dependent on foreign aid until they find a new growth path.
Attending the conference were representatives of the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
, the United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their own solutions to...
(UNDP), a number of donor countries, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other relevant agencies. The shared perspectives of the conference delegates serves to underscore the case for immediate assistance to help Africa’s vulnerable economies to weather the current global food and fuel crisis. Participants agreed that emergency food aid was necessary, but it was also necessary to carry out medium-to-long-term interventions, with special attention on the division of roles and complementarity among various development agencies.
Smaller scale projects were also included in the TICAD agenda. At this year's conference, the Japanese introduced a projected JICA investment in replicating the "One Village One Product movement
One Village One Product movement
The is a Japanese regional development program. It began in Ōita Prefecture in 1979 when the then-governor Morihiko Hiramatsu advocated the program. Implementation started in 1980. Communities selectively produce goods with high added value...
" (OVOP) in African contexts. In this context, the President of Malawi's visit to Japan also included a visit to OVOP headquarters in Osaka.
Making a difference
In a speech delivered at TICAD-IV, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo FukudaYasuo Fukuda
was the 91st Prime Minister of Japan, serving from 2007 to 2008. He was previously the longest-serving Chief Cabinet Secretary in Japanese history, serving for three and a half years under Prime Ministers Yoshirō Mori and Junichiro Koizumi....
committed the government to extending yen-denominated loans worth up to ¥415-billion (US$ 4-billion) and financial assistance totaling about ¥260-billion (US$ 2.5-billion) over the next five years. Fukuda also committed the government to establishing a fund at the Japan Bank for International Cooperation
Japan Bank for International Cooperation
The , also known by its acronym, JBIC, is a Japanese public financial institution and export credit agency, and was created on October 1, 1999, through the merging of the Japan Export-Import Bank and the Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund ....
aimed at doubling investment in Africa. The financial assistance will be provided through the fund over the next five years to help develop road networks and other traffic infrastructure. The Japanese Prime Minister also announced plans to deploy a "water defense force" tasked with providing instruction in water management. Moreover, Fukuda explained that his government aims to help foster as many as 100,000 experts in the health and medicine fields.
Fukuda's announcement that Japan will extend generous assistance to African countries in spite of its tight financial condition is aimed at burnishing Japan's credentials in the international community. Prime Minister Fukuda's speech was designed to strengthen Japan's leadership as host of the G-8 meeting because aid to Africa will be an important item on the meeting's agenda. Another reason for the government's magnanimity is that Japan is trying to strengthen its relations with African countries to win their support for its bid to gain a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. The Japanese government learned a lesson from the failure of its 2005 campaign for permanent membership at the Security Council: Support from African countries, which account for one-fourth of U.N. membership, is construed as indispensable if Japan is to succeed in its bid. In his speech, Fukuda said, "Japan would like to work on U.N. Security Council reform in cooperation with its African friends."
Fukuda's actions during TICAD attracted media attention for what some journalists called the "marathon of mini-summits." In two days, the 71-year-old Prime Minister of Japan met one by one with 40 leaders of African nations, dedicating approximately twenty minutes to each one; and he also met with seven private sector Africa supporters. In addition, the Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Akira Amari met with African leaders in an effort to work towards developing closer relationships with countries participating in the conference.
During TICAD week, Amari met with the leaders of Angola, Gabon and Uganda on Tuesday and Wednesday (May 27–28). Amari met with the leaders of Madagascar, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa and Namibia on Thursday (May 29); and he met on Friday (May 30) with the leader of Nigeria. These Africa leaders are mainly exporters of resources necessary for manufacturers in Japan. For example, Nigeria is the biggest oil producer in Africa, and Angola has promising oil reserves. South Africa produces zirconium
Zirconium
Zirconium is a chemical element with the symbol Zr and atomic number 40. The name of zirconium is taken from the mineral zircon. Its atomic mass is 91.224. It is a lustrous, grey-white, strong transition metal that resembles titanium...
that is used for nuclear fuel rods, while the Democratic Republic of Congo produces cobalt
Cobalt
Cobalt is a chemical element with symbol Co and atomic number 27. It is found naturally only in chemically combined form. The free element, produced by reductive smelting, is a hard, lustrous, silver-gray metal....
, which is used by many industries for various purposes.
Analysis
Japan has long used aid as a key diplomatic tool. It was the world's top donor in 1991, but its overall assistance has been slipping as its debts increased. As China and India seeking to forge closer ties with the African continent, the conference is a key opportunity for Japan to maintain its diplomatic clout. According to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, Africa accounts for 89 percent of the world's total reserves of platinum, 60 percent of its diamonds, 53 percent of the cobalt, 37 percent of the zirconium and 34 percent of the chrome. The African continent remains a potential markets for Japan; and both China and India recognized an urgent need to secure commodities to fuel their economic booms.In this context, the recent Forum on China-Africa Cooperation
Forum on China-Africa Cooperation
Forum on China–Africa Cooperation ; ; ) is an official forum between the People's Republic of China and the states in Africa. There have been four summits held to date, with the most recent meeting having occurred from November 8 to 9, 2009 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt...
(FOCAC) in 2006 can be said to have marked a watershed for Africa’s economic relations. The summit re-awakened the world’s major powers not only to China’s growing strategic influence in Africa but also highlighted Africa’s increasing importance. In recent years, China has been providing large-scale assistance to African countries with the aim of securing a stake in the rich natural resources in the African continent; and India has been doing the same.
The conference provided a venue for non-governmental entities to expand a range of high-level contacts. In addition to the World Bank, an African Development Bank
African Development Bank
The African Development Bank Group is a development bank established in 1964 with the intention of promoting economic and social development in Africa...
(AfDB) group delegation led by the institution's president, Donald Kaberuka
Donald Kaberuka
Donald Kaberuka is a Rwandan economist and the current president of the African Development Bank.Kaberuka was born in Byumba, Rwanda. He was educated at universities in Tanzania and the United Kingdom and received a PhD degree in economics from the University of Glasgow. He worked in banking and...
, attended TICAD-IV. Also amongst the 2,500 attendees were academics, such as the president of Tsukuba University in Japan and Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz of Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
.
There were instances when the conference did not go as Japan expected. For instance, the Japanese government planned to include a statement in the Yokohama Declaration to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent from current levels by 2050. However, the government withdrew this provision after encountering fierce opposition from South Africa, a major polluter.
TICAD summits underscore the importance Asian economic and political competitors place on getting on the right side of African leaders many of whom are sitting on huge mineral, oil and other resources. Africa is also emerging as a last frontier for financial investors. The continent also offers a growing market for low-end manufactured goods that are no longer exportable to the developed countries of Europe and America.
African perspective
The Africans arrived in Yokohama with a number of their own well-thought out agendas. Some voices argued that it would be better if Africa attended TICAD-V (2013) with a continental-wide agenda which could then be broken up into country-specific strategies which could be more fully explored during the subsequent bilateral meetings. Drawing up a common agenda detailing the trade and investment issues would seem a plausible strategy because the nations of the continent are grappling with similar challenge which include poor infrastructure and trade terms that are weighted heavily against Africa. In a sense, Thabo Mbeki embraced this continental strategy as he suggested that Africa's future economic growth should happen through trade and not aid. Mbeki said, "Without discounting the importance of aid, improved terms of trade for Africa are critical to ensure its full integration into the global economy." He also observed that "market access alone does not always translate in the ability for the developing countries to penetrate competitive world markets."
Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize
The first awards of the Hideyo Noguchi Africa PrizeHideyo Noguchi Africa Prize
The honors men and women "with outstanding achievements in the fields of medical research and medical services to combat infectious and other diseases in Africa, thus contributing to the health and welfare of the African people and of all humankind." The prize, officially named "The Prize in...
were planned to coincide with TICAD IV; and the conference venue was moved from Tokyo to Yokohama as another way of honoring the man after whom the prize was named. In 1899, Dr. Noguchi worked at the Yokohama Port Quarantine Office as an assistant quarantine doctor.
The initial Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize
Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize
The honors men and women "with outstanding achievements in the fields of medical research and medical services to combat infectious and other diseases in Africa, thus contributing to the health and welfare of the African people and of all humankind." The prize, officially named "The Prize in...
were conferred in conjunction with TICAD IV. This prize was created in honor of Hideyo Noguchi
Hideyo Noguchi
, also known as , was a prominent Japanese bacteriologist who discovered the agent of syphilis as the cause of progressive paralytic disease in 1911.-Early life:...
, who was a prominent Japanese bacteriologist who discovered the agent of syphilis
Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...
in 1911, and who died in Africa while working towards the development of a vaccine for virulent yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
.
The first laureates of the Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize, like Noguchi himself, are both medical doctors with a career-long interest in epidemiology and public health. They are Dr. Brian Greenwood
Brian Greenwood
Brian Mellor Greenwood, CBE, FRCP, FRS is a British physician, biomedical research scientist, academic, and recipient of the first Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize....
and Dr. Miriam Were
Miriam Were
Miriam K. Were is a Kenyan public health advocate, academic, and recipient of the first Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize.-Academic experience:...
. For the honorees, the Prize represents both an acknowledgment of their past accomplishments and an investment in their prospective contributions in the years ahead. Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda made the actual award presentation; and the Emperor and Empress were present at the 2008 ceremony along with a large number of African heads of state.
With significantly large money prizes attending this award, the Noguchi Prize already rivals the major established scientific awards. From the outset, the 2008 Noguchi Prizes—consisting of a citation, a medal and an honorarium of 100 million yen (US$843,668) -- were only intended to be the first in a continuing series; and subsequent prizes are expected to be awarded every five years.
The prize, officially named "The Prize in Recognition of Outstanding Achievements in the Fields of Medical Research and Medical Services in Africa Awarded in Memory of Dr. Hideyo Noguchi," is managed by Japan International Cooperation Agency
Japan International Cooperation Agency
The Japan International Cooperation Agency is an independent governmental agency that coordinates official development assistance for the government of Japan...
(JICA).
TICAD-V
As TICAD-IV ended, plans were already being formulated for TICAD-V in 2013. Prime Minister Fukuda Announced told delegates at TICAD-IV, "I pledge that by 2012-five years from now-Japan will have doubled its official development assistance (ODA) to Africa, increasing it gradually over these years." At the same time, Fukuda said his government would double its grand aid and technical cooperation for Africa by 2012.External links
- G8, Hokaidō Tōyako Summit: 34th G8 summit official website
- TICAD-I: Index
- TICAD-II: Index
- TICAD-III: Index
- TICAD-IV: Index
- TICAD-V: [Ministry for Foreign Affairs web site—to be constructed]