Japan and UNDP

UNDP-Japan partnership for a better future

In order to effectively address worldwide development challenges, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and the private sector are essential partners of UNDP.  As one of the largest donor countries, the Government of Japan has become a major contributor to UNDP global initiatives.  UNDP has been working together with such Japanese partners to maximize its comparative advantages and unique roles.  The latter include 1) UNDP’s global development network, 2) neutrality as the UN family, 3) the organization’s coordination role in the UN system, 4) its comprehensive capacity combined with multi-sectoral approach and ability to deliver policy advice, 5) its highly specialized skills and solid accomplishments in the development field.

UNDP and Japan's Official Development Assistance (ODA)

Japan has been providing Official Development Assistance (ODA) for more than 40 years. ODA has become a critical tool for Japan to participate in international efforts to ensure peace and sustainable development.

While the largest portion of ODA exists in the form of bilateral aid, Japan has also valued the importance of multilateral development organizations. In the present globalizing context, it is increasingly important to address development challenges in collaboration with other countries, multilateral institutions, the private sector, civil society organizations (CSOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).  The United Nations system has also established critical partnerships for assisting developing countries. In 1992, Japan adopted the Official Development Assistance Charter, which explicitly states that Japanese ODA will be provided in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter. Japan’s ODA Charter also notes that collaboration with United Nations organizations is one of the criteria for the effective implementation of its ODA programme.

Due to similar development priorities that include democratic governance, environmental sustainability, HIV/AIDS and information and communication technologies for development, UNDP has established a particularly close partnership with Japan.  Based on these common development objectives, Japan has also provided UNDP with various types of support, including financial and political assistance.

Japan has made significant contributions to both UNDP’s total income and core funding.  In 2000 and 2001, Japan provided the largest amount to UNDP core funding.  Contributing $100 million to UNDP, Japan’s assistance accounted for 15.8 per cent of UNDP’s total core income in 2000.

UN Reform

In addition to its financial contribution, Japan has also taken the lead in supporting UNDP reform. Japan has been one of the strongest proponents of the organization’s new upstream role and functions, especially in the areas of policy formulation and reform of the United Nations development system. A wide range of forums, including the Millennium Summit, the G8 Kyushu-Okinawa Summit, and the UNDP Exective Boad Meeting at ministeral level, demonstrated Japan’s support to UNDP.

Japan and UNDP collaborate extensively at the country office level. Japanese embassies in many programme countries have held constructive discussions on UNDP activities in the field, which have provided valuable insight into UNDP programme planning processes.

South-South Cooperation

South-South Cooperation, including technical and economic cooperation, is a means of promoting effective development by learning and sharing best practices, resources and technical know-how among developing countries. It is assumed that development support through South-South Cooperation would be more cost effective than North-South Cooperation, since developing partner countries have similar societies and economies when compared with Northern partners. UNDP is promoting South-South Cooperation mainly through support to programmes, networks, and information systems that promote Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries (TCDC), in collaboration with other institutions and United Nations organizations. South-South Cooperation, especially in the African context, has been actively expanding in areas of agriculture and the private sector.  This initiative is aligned with the Action Plan adopted at the Second Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD II). In view of promoting self-supporting capacities of developing countries, the Government of Japan has already expressed its intention to support South-South Cooperation at the United Nations General Assembly and other forums, and to finance TCDC activities through its own fund established within UNDP for South-South Cooperation.

Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD)

Following the first Tokyo International Conference on African Development, held in 1993, UNDP has been cooperating with the Government of Japan to reduce poverty by actively tackling economic and social problems in Africa. The “Tokyo Agenda for Action” that comprehensively specifies concrete measures for development in Africa, was adopted in 1998 at the Second Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD II). The “Tokyo Agenda for Action” also sets out the underlying principles of cooperation and ownership by the African countries who lead the development project in Africa. Furthermore, as part of this development approach, emphasis was placed on the effectiveness of Asia-Africa cooperation in order to make the best of Asia’s experiences in Africa.  This partnership emphasizes the importance of private sector development for economic growth in Africa, the strengthening of governance as the foundation for development, and the importance of conflict prevention and post-conflict reconstruction. The Government of Japan is presently cooperating with UNDP on a number of ancillary activities to facilitate the implementation of the “Tokyo Agenda for Action”. TICAD Homepage

Post-Conflict Development and Peace-Building

UNDP coordinates with the government of Japan to support post-conflict reconstruction and peace-building in countries and regions faced with challenging situations. In 1988, the Government of Japan created within UNDP the “Japan-Palestine Development Fund” and has so far contributed $270 million to the fund. UNDP is using these resources to indirectly provide support to the peace process by helping to develop the skills of government officials, building schools, hospitals, sewage systems, and local government organisations and promoting human development and security in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

UNDP has been working since 1996 in Bosnia, with $30 million provided by the Government of Japan, to restore electricity supplies, rebuild pharmaceutical factories and to reconnect telephone infrastructure. Similarly, Kosovo and East Timor are teaming up with the Government of Japan to actively pursue their respective reconstruction and development goals.

Multi/Bilateral Cooperation

Multi/bilateral cooperation is a form of collaborative support that is characterized by a partnership between an international organization and a donor country to pursue development objectives.  Information, know-how, human resources and funds are shared in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of development assistance.  Multi/bilateral cooperation is used to increase the impact of ODA.