“TICAD stands for Tokyo International Conference on African Development. The government of Japan has been leading this conference since 1993, co-hosted by United Nations, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Bank and African Union Commission (AUC). The next TICAD will be held on 28th - 30th August, 2019 at Pacifico Yokohama, Yokohama city, Japan.”
The Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) is a multilateral leaders’ forum on Africa’s development, first convened in 1993 in Japan. The spirit of international partnership is reflected in the composition of TICAD’s co-organizers: the United Nations (UN), UN Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank, and the Government of Japan since TICAD’s inauguration, with the African Union Commission (AUC) joining since 2010. Over the quarter of a century, TICAD has maintained its uniqueness as a pioneering, open, inclusive and multilateral forum to mobilize global support for African development. At the same time, it has continued to evolve to address both opportunities and challenges affecting Africa in alignment with both pan-African and international visions, such as African Union’s Agenda 2063 and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, respectively.
Committed to delivering tangible results on the ground, TICAD is also proud of its follow-up process. As part of it, this report reviews the progress made during the three-year period (2016-2018) since TICAD VI1.
“TICAD 7 theme: Advancing Africa’s development through people, technology and innovation.”
The Youth Cafe And TICAD
At The Youth Cafe, recognize the role of the private sector in Africa’s development, and the linkages between the private sector, connectivity, technology and innovation. We welcome the Japan Business Council for Africa established by the Government of Japan and the private sector to encourage and facilitate business interaction between Japan and African Union Member States, including through private sector from other countries. We encourage initiatives such as the G20 Compact with Africa. We appreciate the business training provided through the African Business Education Initiative for Youth (ABE Initiative), and commit to strengthening job training as well as micro, small and medium sized enterprises on the continent, recognizing they are the primary vehicle for job creation and entrepreneurship, including of youth and women. We welcome efforts to support women entrepreneurship through financial and technical assistance. We also welcome efforts by the international community to de-risk private investment, particularly for infrastructure and productive sectors. We commit to working together to promote a conducive business environment, accelerate inclusive industrialization, enhance domestic resource mobilization, and strengthen public finance and macro-economic stability. We further commit to strengthening capacities in the field of trade negotiation and responsible and sustainable business practices, including the development.
Looking back at TICAD's history
When the Cold War ended, developed countries' interest in providing assistance to Africa began to wane. Under such circumstance, it was Japan that argued for the importance of Africa, and TICAD was the proof of Japan taking action. Nowadays, there are various fora through which many countries engage themselves with Africa, but TICAD launched by Japan was the forerunner of such fora for African development. Over the course of more than 20 years since TICAD I in 1993, the forum has a track record of improving social and economic conditions in Africa mainly through grant aids and technical assistance. In the five years starting from fiscal year 2008, the government of Japan built 1,321 elementary and middle schools, improved 4,778 healthcare and medical facilities, and provided safe water to additional 10.79 million people.
“The Youth Cafe underscores the importance of private sector development, digital transformation, and youth and women entrepreneurship as strategies for implementing
the priority areas of TICAD 7. In this context, we welcome the active participation of private companies from both Japan and Africa in TICAD 7. We consider the continued
involvement of the private sector to be an essential element of the TICAD process going forward, and commit to strengthening the enabling environment for doing business and further encouraging impact investment that creates wealth and jobs for the youth.”
Uniqueness of TICAD
Pioneer forum
When the Cold War ended, developed countries’ interest in providing assistance to Africa began to wane. Under such circumstance, it was Japan that argued for the importance of Africa, and TICAD was the proof of Japan taking action. Nowadays, there are various fora through which many countries engage themselves with Africa, but TICAD launched by Japan was the forerunner of such fora for African development. Over the course of more than 20 years since TICAD I in 1993, the forum has a track record of improving social and economic conditions in Africa mainly through grant aids and technical assistance. In the five years starting fiscal year 2008, the government of Japan built 1,321 elementary and middle schools, improved 4,778 healthcare and medical facilities, and provided safe water to additional 10.79 million people.
Open forum
TICAD is a multilateral forum whose participants include not only African countries but also international organizations, partner countries, private companies and civil society organizations involved in development. The participants have been engaged in fruitful discussions on African development, bringing together a broad range of global knowhow and efforts of the international community. TICAD provides an open forum that generates innovative discussion, among various stakeholders, on African development.
Ownership and partnership
TICAD has advocated the importance of African ownership and international partnership. Today, the development philosophy based on these two principles is shared globally. It has also inspired African countries, and it became the philosophical foundation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), the first comprehensive development plan created by Africans themselves.
Steady fulfilment of promises
In the TICAD process, Japan has established follow-up mechanisms. For example, pledges are announced at the summit-level meetings, and the status of their implementations is confirmed at the ministerial meetings. African countries have highly acclaimed the steady assistance extended by Japan, a country that keeps its promises.
TICAD7 OUTCOME DOCUMENTS
