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GDF is a research unit of National Graduate
Institute for Policy Studies
□  Policy Dialogue on Industrial
　 Development in Ethiopia		 □  Int'l Development Strategies,
　 Aid Partnerships		 □  African Growth Initiative
　
□  Vietnam Development Forum
　		 □  GRIPS Global COE Program
　		  
　

African Growth Initiative

Lately, discussions on the Japan’s contribution to African development are taking place among many stakeholders of all levels from government ministries to Civil Society Organizations.
GRIPS Development Forum, as a research institution, also would like to contribute in promoting and stimulating such policy discussions. 

*Your insight and opinions on African Development as well as questions to African Ambassadors are always welcome to be sent to: forum@grips.ac.jp
　

　

　
　
GDF Activities
SEMINAR REPORT

GRIPS-ODI-JICA Joint Seminar: ''African Growth in the Changing Global Economy'' (November 2008)

The GRIPS-ODI-JICA Joint Seminar was held on 27 November 2008, with over 100 participants from diverse background―African Ambassadors and diplomats, researchers, private sector, NGOs, policy makers and practitioners who are interested in the African development. The seminar was organized by the GRIPS Development Forum and the JICA Research Institute, in collaboration with the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and African embassies in Tokyo. The seminar was designed to feature on African growth, the changing global economy, and TICAD IV follow-up. Now the handouts and the minutes are available online. MORE

 Part I: How should Africa cope with global financial crisis?
 Presentation 1: Simon Maxwell, Director, ODI, UK
 Presentation 2: Akio Hosono, Professor, GRIPS
 Part II: How to implement the TICAD IV promises for sustained growth in Africa?
 Presentation 1: H. E. Elly E.E. Mtango, Ambassador Extraordinary and   Plenipotentiary
 Presentation 2: Izumi Ohno, Professor, GRIPS
 Presentation 3: Matsuo Watanabe, Visiting Senior Advisor, JICA

　

***Policy Minutes No.23 on this Seminar has published on Feb. 2009.<<Click (pdf file 3.9MB) 

Proposal for a New African Growth Support Initiative (August 2008)

by GRIPS Development Forum -Secretariat for the Multi-stakeholder Discussion Group on “African Growth Support Initiative“

We compiled a proposal based on intensive discussions by a multi-stakeholder group of professionals from government officials, staff of aid implementing agencies and international organizations, researchers, and businesspersons aimed at concretizing Japan’s growth support to Africa in the context of the TICAD IV. The proposal also benefited from discussions at a GRIPS Development Forum workshop held in late July 2008. We hope that this proposal will be useful for policy makers, aid practitioners, researchers, and professionals who are responsible for implementing the Yokohama Declaration and the Yokohama Action Plan adopted at the TICAD IV. We also hope that the proposal will serve as policy input to the new JICA when it concretizes country-specific assistance packages related to “Boosting Economic Growth” (one of the priority pillars of the TICAD IV), in selecting target countries and identifying entry points and specific activities for Japan’s engagement. MORE (PDF file, 208KB)

　

WORKSHOP REPORT
How can Japan effectively support economic growth in Africa? - The African perspective - (25 July, 2008)


GRIPS Development Forum held a round-table discussion workshop, which aims to generate new approaches how Japan could take effectively support economic growth in Africa, to tailor the implementation of the TICAD IV’s Yokohama Action Plan and the Toyako G8 Summit.

For an African perspective to the discussions, we invited participation from African Ambassadors in Tokyo, as well as prominent African professionals including Prof. Dr. Sanga-Ngoie Kazadi (a native of the D.R.Congo, Professor Emeritus of Mie University, and currently Dean, International Cooperation & Research Division, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Oita).

-Program
 -Opening remarks & background (Prof. Kenichi Ohno, GRIPS)
-Presentation1 (Elumba Jean Denis, GDF Research Associate)
  ->Summary
-Presentation2 (Prof. Dr. Sanga-Ngoie Kazadi, APU )
   ->Summary
 -Minutes (PDF file, 69.3KB)

The “African growth support” initiative, by multi-stakeholder study group

(April-June, 2008) A multi-stakeholder study group discussed the "African growth support” initiative at the GRIPS from April to June 2008. We study the current state of African Development and intensively discuss the basic idea about how Japan should provide assistance to meet African development needs, what actions should be taken to strengthen the system for "African growth support". The minutes for the meetings summarizes the content of the presentations, issues raised by the participants.

For more details, please click here << African Growth Support Initiative page
　
　 　
　
GDF PUBLICATION:
　

(February 2008)
 Diversity and Complementarity in Development Aid
 —East Asian Lessons for African Growth—

(Ed.) GRIPS Development Forum,

　

　
　 >>>Links<<<

■TICAD IV (28-30 May, 2008)
 The Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development
 (TICAD IV) in Yokohama

Link to Ministry of Finance website

■JICA・JBIC (2008),
Report of the Stocktaking Work on the Economic Development in Africa and the Asian Growth Experience.

　
　 ■MatsuoWatanabe(2008)
"Japan's Foreign Aid Policy in Transition: An Interpretation of TICAD IV ", Japan aktuell, 3/2008, pp.7-26.
　 　
Research Mission Report
　

IPD African Taskforce Meeting in Addis Ababa (Jul. 2008)
Prof. Izumi Ohno and Kenichi Ohno attended the "Initiative for Policy Dialogue" African Taskforce Meeting in Ethiopia. This is an annual event organized by Prof. Joseph Stiglitz (Columbia Univ.) and supported by JICA. It discussed past policy failures, the need to broaden policy space, new possibilities based on East Asian experiences, etc. Participants included Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, Prof. J. Stiglitz, Prof. Mushtaq Kahn, Prof. S. Urata, and others.

Our presentation argued as follows. The development process is a complex mix of economics (what needs to be done) and politics (what can be done). The problem with traditional policy advice of IFIs (macro conditionality, transition strategy, governance, growth diagnostics, etc) is that it recommends desirable policies without seriously considering their political and administrative feasibility. Development succeeds only when what is desirable is carefully matched by what is possible in the right sequence in the actual political context of each country.

We recommend that development policy should mainly be built on perfecting one's unique strength rather than generally removing weaknesses and achieving average performance in everything. There should be goals, phased strategies and concrete actions. Donors should engage in long-term, open-ended policy dialogue with the government to discover such goals, strategies and actions. (Kenichi Ohno)
　

UK (London) Mission Report

(4-8 March 2008) Prof. Kenichi Ohno, Prof. Izumi Ohno and Elumba Jean Denis N. (Senior Research Associate ) visited London to; 1) launch a book titled “Diversity and Complementarity in Development Aid: East Asian Lessons for African Growth” that aims to promote a UK-Japan dialogue on aid effectiveness in developing countries, 2) learn about the UK’s assistance for African growth, 3) understand the methodology of “Growth Diagnostics”. UK officials and researchers showed deep interest in our recent researches and activities. MORE (UK Mission Report by Elumba Jean Denis N. PDF file, 134KB)
 - Presentation at "ODI-GRIPS joint seminar on UK-Japan aid partnership in supporting African growth and the 2008 agenda, March 5, 2008"
  -Presentation1 (Izumi Ohno, PDF file 172KB)
  -Presentation2 (Kenichi Ohno, PDF file 189KB)
　
Mozambique Mission Report
(14-24 February 2008) Prof. Ohno was invited by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) to deliver presentations at two workshops on the theme “Economic Development of the Nacala Development Corridor: Learning from the Experiences of Vietnam”  in Mozambique. Elumba Jean Denis N. was also dispatched by GRIPS to join Prof. Kenichi Ohno on a fact-finding mission to Mozambique on the same itinerary. In addition, we met key stakeholders responsible for economic development planning to learn how policy dialogue is coordinated within the government and between the government and the private sector, in order to understand the strategic importance of the Nacala Development Corridor within the broader framework of the national economic development plan of Mozambique. MORE (Mozambique Mission Report by Elumba Jean Denis N. PDF file, 93KB)
　
　
　
　

　 　

Past Activities

Lecture by Mr. Lawrence Kiiza, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Uganda

(July 2007) On June 22, 2006, at the GRIPS, Mr. Lawrence Kiiza (Director of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Uganda) gave a lecture on economic policy and donor aid in Uganda. He explained the country's macro economic recovery and stability, development policy and transformation of the types of donor aid. He further discussed future challenges in Uganda such as: governance (related to donor conditionality, although the real meaning of 'governance' differs from country to country); policy implementation; proper fiscal management to reduce deficits; mobilizing aid towards promoting economic growth. His lecture paper "Four Big Public Policy Challenges for Uganda" is also available. MORE (Lecture minutes, 30KB), MORE (paper, 79KB)

Exchange view on Japan’s Aid in Africa with GRIPS African students
(May 15, 2007)We held a meeting with GRIPS students from African countries to exchange views on Japan’s Aid in Africa.  Most of the students serve as government officials in their home countries and some of them have practical experiences in handling financial resources from donor countries.  The discussion was very informative and fruitful.  Please have a look at our handouts and the minutes and send us your thoughts and comments to us (forum@grips.ac.jp).


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