8th Tokyo International Conference on African Development

By
Sayba Sagheer
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240
TICAD 8
TICAD 8

Tunis, 26 August 2022 (TDI): On 27 and 28 August, there will be the 8th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 8). Since 1993, TICAD has addressed various development issues in Africa.

History of TICAD

The goal of the TICAD conferences was to encourage high-level policy discussion between African leaders and their development partners.

In a time of “aid fatigue” among international donors after the end of the Cold War. It arose in 1993 and played a crucial role in reviving substantial donor interest in Africa.

It was Japan that argued for the importance of Africa, and TICAD was proof of Japan taking action. There are several forums now where many nations interact with Africa, but TICAD was the first of these platforms for African development.

The forum has a history of enhancing social and economic conditions in Africa, mostly through grant aids and technical support for more than 20 years.

The Japanese government built elementary and intermediate schools, upgraded healthcare and medical facilities, and provided clean water to millions of people through TICAD.

8th Tokyo International Conference on African Development

The 8th TICAD will bring together delegates from across the continent and also include the African Development Bank Group.

Japan will help address food security and support the development of communication infrastructure on the continent. The African Development Bank Group continues to promote strong and sustainable development in Africa through cooperation with Japan.

The event is co-organized by the Japanese government, the African Union Commission, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa, and the World Bank.

Statements by the Prime Minister of Japan on TICAD 8

Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida gave statements on TICAD 8.

“As we prepare to hold TICAD 8, we underscore two shared challenges of the international community that need a response.  The first of these are measures against infectious diseases, as seen in the spread of COVID-19.

They resulted in a slowdown in economic growth and the loss of employment and educational opportunities and caused enormous harm to the particularly vulnerable, including women, young people, and the poor, leading to concerns about widening disparities.

The question of how to “build back better” will surely be a major theme of African development going forward.

The second is the challenge of being pitted against a free and open international order based on the rule of law. The world has come to its first turning point since the end of the Cold War in the late 20th century. Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine has made this shift to a new age clear to all.

Russia’s aggression has also disrupted international energy and food supplies, resulting in enormous impacts on Africa’s economy and society. Furthermore, unfair and opaque development finance impedes the sustainable development of vulnerable countries.

Japan will utilize TICAD to make contributions toward overcoming these challenges. Africa is a treasure trove of potential even as it faces a wide range of challenges in modern society such as widening disparities, climate change, terrorism, and conflicts.

TICAD 8 aims to deliver concrete results in terms of creating a resilient society together, using an approach that places importance on Japanese-style investment in people and quality of growth.

As the first large-scale international conference for high-level discussions between Japan and African countries since the pandemic began, TICAD 8 is an extremely valuable diplomatic opportunity.”