AFRICANS WELCOME JAPAN'S RESPONSIVENESS IN TICAD

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TOKYO 000100 SIPDIS SIPDIS PLEASE PASS TO AID/ANE JBEVER AND MWARD AND AID/PPC DMENARCHIK AND NNICHOLSON PARIS FOR USOECD E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/03/2018 TAGS: EAID ECON JA PREL AF SUBJECT: AFRICANS WELCOME JAPAN'S RESPONSIVENESS IN TICAD IV PREP REF: TOKYO 93 TOKYO 00000100 001.2 OF 003 Classified By: CDA Joseph R. Donovan for reasons 1.4 (b/d) ¶1. (SBU) Summary. The Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) taking place May 28 - 30 in Yokohama will focus on four main topics: economic growth and investment; human security; environment and climate and; consolidation of peace. The GOJ has invited all African heads of state, including Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe (ref). Tokyo-based African diplomats are optimistic about TICAD IV's potential results given more active input from African representatives. Establishment of a permanent TICAD secretariat and a time-bound action plan are still points of SIPDIS contention, however. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) "Towards a Vibrant Africa" is the theme of the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV),Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) First Africa Division Deputy Director Sotaro Ozaki told Emboff. The conference, to be held in Yokohama May 28-30, will center upon four topics: economic growth and investment; human security; environment and climate; and consolidating peace, including building capacity to prevent conflicts. All Inclusive - Even Mugabe -------------- ¶3. (C) The GOJ's goal in TICAD IV is to "hear the African voice" and to involve all parties interested in African development. As such, Ozaki said Japan has invited all 52 African heads of state (with the exception of Somalia with which Japan does not have diplomatic relations),including Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe. He acknowledged some countries may take exception with the invitation to Zimbabwe, but maintained Japan "does not distinguish" between Mugabe and other African leaders. As of January 3, 34 African governments had accepted the invitation, according to newspaper reports. Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura recently traveled to Tanzania (septel) and former Prime Minister Mori will visit Africa in early 2008 to bolster support for the conference. In addition to African heads of state, Japan will also invite representatives from donor countries, emerging donors, and international organizations to attend TICAD, Ozaki stated. "Competition Is Good for Africa" - The African View of TICAD -------------- -------------- ¶4. (C) There are "very mixed opinions" among African governments regarding the success TICAD has produced over the 15 years of its existence, according to Tokyo Embassy of Mozambique Minister-Counsellor Ermindo Ferreira. Most would agree, he said, that progress in implementing commitments has been far too slow. With globalization and the rise of emerging market countries such as China and India, demand for Africa's natural resources is increasing. Ferreira believes the rising role of new donors could be the reason for Japan's new-found interest in TICAD. "Competition is good for Africa," he observed. ¶5. (C) MOFA Director General for International Cooperation Koro Bessho echoed Ferreira's assessment, but lamented China's disregard for international conventions on assistance, particularly the OECD development assistance committee (DAC) guidelines. Bessho emphasized that TICAD is an all-inclusive forum to discuss African issues and contrasted it with the China-Africa Forum which only focused on China's relations with the continent. He noted the need to reinforce the positions stated in the OECD and G-8 in recent years on development issues, including attention to good TOKYO 00000100 002.2 OF 003 governance. ¶6. (C) Several Japan-based African diplomats have suggested past TICADs have been top-down processes run by MOFA with very little input from African nations or the African Diplomatic Corps (ADC) in Tokyo. This time, the ADC has been very aggressive in getting its viewpoints heard and has formed a TICAD committee consisting of 13 African ambassadors, headed by Zimbabwean Ambassador Stuart Comberbach. The group met weekly in late 2006 and early 2007 to produce "Proposals for the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development" which it submitted to MOFA in March 2007. Getting MOFA to accept the document was "a major victory" one diplomat said. The paper provides an overview of Japanese ODA to Africa to date and outlines seven proposals with corresponding action items for TICAD's agenda. ¶7. (SBU) According to the document's executive summary, the lack of a monitoring or follow-up body has made it difficult to measure TICAD's effectiveness. In addition, no detailed or time-bound action plan emerged from any of the prior conferences. The ADC document notes goods and services from Africa accounted for only 2% of Japan's total imports in 2003 and 2004. The continent receives only 0.4% of Japan's total foreign direct investment (FDI) and, of that, 85% went to just two countries, LIBERIA and South Africa. The ADC paper does hail recent indications that the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA),which provides technical and other assistance to developing nations, is now more active in Africa. In addition, the paper cites recently-developped trade and investment programs as having great potential, particularly the Enhanced Private Sector Assistance Facility (EPSA),which aims to foster private sector activities on the continent. The ADC's Proposed Agenda -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Building on this review, the ADC document proposes the following for TICAD IV's agenda: consolidation of peace, including capacity building for conflict prevention; fostering infrastructure projects in conjunction with the African Union's (AU) New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD); institutional and human capacity-building for human security including education, food production and security, and health; promoting capital flows and strengthening financial institutions in Africa especially foreign direct investment and trade support for the private sector; embracing the information and communication technology age; protecting the environment for sustainable development and; the role of women including reaffirming the importance of women in African development. According to an ADC member diplomat, MOFA collapsed these seven into the four agenda items outlined in paragraphs 1 and 2. A Permanent Secretariat? -------------- ¶9. (C) The issues of a follow-up body and a time-bound action plan, however, remain contentious. The ADC wants to establish a permanent secretariat in Tokyo consisting of AU members. According to African diplomats here, however, MOFA maintains because Japan sponsors and finances TICAD, MOFA should be responsible for ensuring commitments are met. The ADC and MOFA have recently been discussing a compromise solution in which representatives from the AU, ADC, MOFA, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC),the World Bank, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), among others, would meet once-per-year to review program implementation. No agreement has yet emerged. TOKYO 00000100 003.2 OF 003 Cautiously Optimistic -------------- ¶10. (C) Nevertheless, African diplomats in Tokyo are cautiously optimistic about TICAD IV given the GOJ's willingness to engage and hold regular meetings with the ADC. In addition, planning ministerials were held in Lusaka and Tunis in 2007 and another is planned in Gabon in March to ensure African capitals are in agreement with the TICAD agenda. This is a significant departure from previous TICAD planning, according to African diplomats. They are hopeful Japan's concurrent hosting of TICAD and the G-8 will result in more progress on African development issues, perhaps even in making Africa a permanent G-8 agenda item. Comment -------------- ¶11. (SBU) Although questions about past TICADs were generally met with eye-rolling and disparaging remarks, many Tokyo-based African diplomats believe Japan has turned the corner in its thinking regarding aid and trade with the continent. There is still much cynicism as to the reasons behind this change, with many attributing it to competition with China for political influence and natural resources. Still others say Japan is using aid as a way to buy support for a permanent UN Security Council seat. The recently announced 4% cut in Japan's spending for official development assistance during the coming fiscal year, however -- which makes for a total cut of 40% over the past 11 years -- will further limit resources to woo friends in Africa, regardless of the motivation. End Comment. DONOVAN