The Ministerial meeting on TICAD8 virtual meeting graced off last week with various Press Officers from different African countries and top JICA officials in attendance.
The meeting intended to brief the Press on the upcoming TICAD8 conference in Tunisia this year August and to solidify and implement the intended objectives and strategies set in its operations.
The meeting was facilitated by Senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan, and JICA’s representatives and had over 84 participants online.
Topical issues highlighted include Peace and stability, climate change, regional integration, JICA’s approach to Global Health and medicine.
Resources persons highlighted the need to focus on the above-mentioned pointers at the upcoming TICAD8 conference in Tunisia this year.
Major emphasis on JICA’s approach to Africa was hinged on these pronged areas; people-focused and human security, Africa’s ownership and co-creation of Africa, and effective use of Japan’s development.
Japan, through JICA, seeks to empower the various African countries towards a sustainable, self-reliant economy by focusing on a resilient, inclusive, and prosperous Africa.
The TICAD8 conference for that matter is of significant step for Africa’s development.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change, one of the lead pointers to be discussed at this year’s TICAD8 conference, has become very necessary. African countries are to implement the Nationally Determined Contributions NDCs in collaboration with various partners.
Issues of biodiversity loss, environmental degradation, disaster risks, ocean, and related maritime challenges are some of the major problems facing Africa’s sustainable development. This upcoming TICAD8 is therefore crucial in discussing these challenges further and how to fully mitigate them.
GLOBAL HEALTH & MEDICINE
The meeting also elaborated on JICA’s initiative on Global Health and medicine where the health and the medical systems of the African sub Region need to be strengthened. Japan has been supporting the health and medical system in Africa in the mid to long term through TICAD with its history of over a quarter of a century.
It was again highlighted that towards the TICAD8 to be held in August, Japan will continue to work to achieve Universal Health Coverage -UHC in Africa based on the concept of human security with the objective of “leaving no one’s health behind”.
REGIONAL INTEGRATION
The meeting again highlighted the need for Regional integration with the “one-stop border Post OSBP initiative across the African sub Region. This very initiative was highlighted in 2008 ( TICAD4).
This idea is to facilitate cross-border movement by streamlining necessary procedures with one stop in a single facility. By this 14 countries in the East, South, and Western Regions will benefit from the OBSP initiative under the collaboration with AUDA-NEPAD.
The meeting emphasized that Japan’s contributions over the last three years span close to $20b.
TICAD is a high-level international conference on Africa’s development initiated by Japan in 1993.
Japan has led this forum with its history of over a quarter-century to promote African development while respecting African ownership.
This year’s TICAD8 conference is scheduled for Tunisia on August 27 and 28th.
