[Title] Assistance of Japan toward PIF Members (Fact sheet)
Basic Ideas
Following the "Leaders' Declaration: Okinawa Partnership for a more robust and prosperous Pacific Region" adopted in the Fourth Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM 4), Japan will assist the efforts of PIF (Pacific Islands Forum) Members by means of wide range of Assistance undermentioned. Japan has consistently been a good partner of PIF Members and has actively assisted their efforts. This "Assistance of Japan toward PIF Members" is a specific manifestation of Japan's renewed commitment to the prosperity and stability of PIF Members.
Japan appreciates the Pacific Plan as a manifestation of the ownership by PIF Members and expects that PIF Members make individual as well as collective efforts in line with the Plan in which four areas of priority --- "economic development", "sustainable development", "good governance" and "security"--- have been identified. Such effort of PIF Members and the Assistance of Japan constitute two pillars of the "Okinawa Partnership".
Bearing in mind the priority areas in the Pacific Plan, Japan sets out five priority areas of its Assistance, namely "economic growth", "sustainable development", "good governance", "security" and "people to people communication and exchange".
Specific projects and programs under the Assistance of Japan will be planned and implemented so as to maximize the effectiveness of the assistance. In implementing its assistance, Japan will also take into account cooperation and collaboration with other development partners such as like-minded countries and private sectors including NGOs. In this regard, cooperation with Australia and New Zealand will be enhanced as appropriate, bearing in mind the "Joint Statement on Enhanced Donor Cooperation for "Okinawa Partnership for a more robust and prosperous Pacific Region" by Australia, Japan and New Zealand.
Contents of Assistance
I. General
1. Target volume of Assistance
(1) Japan aims to provide assistance to the extent of 45 billion yen, of which a major portion will be grant, to PIF Members over the three years. This assistance will be implemented through bilateral and multilateral assistance schemes. The total amount of bilateral assistance to each PIF member will be determined by such factors as the formulation of actual projects. The Assistances will be implemented with a focus on the priority areas as stated in II. 1. - 4. below.
(2) For the implementation of the above mentioned assistance, cooperation by PIF Members is essential so as to ensure, inter alia, that proposals for projects and programs are appropriate and based on PIF Members' national plans and needs, and that projects and programs are duly implemented. Japan will, on its part, cooperate closely with PIF Members and expect their cooperation.
2. Human Resources Development
(1) As part of the assistance mentioned in 1. Japan aims to provide assistance for human resources development of more than 4000 people of PIF Members over the three years using assistance schemes such as JICA's (Japan International Cooperation Agency), with a focus on training of public officials. This assistance is intended to further enhance the capacity for PIF Members to tackle with priority areas mentioned below.
(2)In this regard, Japan will further utilize Senior Volunteers, who hold wide range of expertise and professional experience, to meet the various needs of PIF Members for human resources development.
3. People to People Communication and Exchange
Recognizing that "People to people communication and exchange" is the very foundation for any partnership, Japan will promote such exchanges with PIF Members in addition to the said assistance referred in 1. and 2. above. In particular, Japan will aim to implement youth exchange of more than 1000 people over the three years as well as cultural exchange and projects for preservation of cultural heritage (details described in II.5.).
II. Priority Areas
The undermentioned are examples of assistances. Specific projects and programs to be implemented in individual PIF Member will be determined through the follow-up process.
1. Economic Growth
One of the prerequisites for "a more robust and prosperous Pacific region" is economic development of PIF Members. Acknowledging that PIF Members are making efforts to achieve economic self-sustainability while facing such conditions as the small scale of population, land and domestic market as well as geographic remoteness, Japan's Assistance will focus on areas such as trade and investment, infrastructure, fisheries and tourism, and include the use of programs based on the "Development initiative for trade" announced by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi last December.
(1) Trade and Investment
(a) "One-village One- Product (OVOP)" campaign
(b) Assistance through JICA technical cooperation (dispatch of experts and volunteers, training courses etc.)
(c) Assistance through the Pacific Islands Center
Convening the Pacific Islands Exhibition, dispatch of trade and investment promotion mission, participation in trade exhibition in Japan etc.
(d) Assistance through JETRO
Convening the Pacific Islands Exhibition (Co-organized with PIC), dispatch of advisors
(2) Development of Infrastructure
(a) Assistance in areas of ICT (Information Communication Technology)
- Assistance through JICA technical cooperation(implementation of technical cooperation projects, training courses, and dispatch of experts and volunteers etc.)
- Assistance within the framework of APT (Asia Pacific Telecommunity) Training courses on ICT, promotion of Asia Broadband Program
(b) Transport Infrastructure
- Assistance through Grant Aid and JICA technical cooperation (training courses, dispatch of experts and volunteers etc.)
(c) Energy Infrastructure
- Assistance through Grant Aid and JICA technical cooperation (training courses, dispatch of experts and volunteers, etc.)
(3) Fisheries
(a) Assistance through JICA technical cooperation (training courses, dispatch of experts and volunteers etc.)
(b) Construction of Fishery Infrastructure through Grant Aid Cooperation
(c) Support by OFCF (Overseas Fisheries Cooperation Foundation)
- Training for fishery-related technology, resources management and so on teaching of coastal fisheries development and aquaculture etc.)
(d) Support for sustainable use of tuna resources
- Capacity building of PIF Members through WCPFC (Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean)
(4) Tourism
(a) Assistance through JICA technical cooperation (dispatch of volunteers, training courses etc.)
(b) Assistance through the Pacific Islands Center for the promotion of tourism
2. Sustainable Development
Japan will provide the following assistance toward PIF Members' efforts made in areas such as "environment", "health", "water and sanitation" and "education and vocational training"
(1) Environment
(a) Implementation of the regional master plan for waste management in the Pacific
- Assistance through JICA technical cooperation (implementation of technical cooperation projects, training courses, and dispatch of the experts and volunteers etc.)
- Assistance through Grant Aid for Grassroots Human Security Projects
(b) Preservation of natural environment
- Cooperation based on ICRI (International Coral Reef Initiative) for the strengthening Marine Protected Areas Networks of PIF Members by developing Oceania Coral Reef Protected Areas Database.
- Assistance through JICA technical cooperation (implementation of technical cooperation projects, training courses and dispatch of experts and volunteers etc.)
(c) Climate Change
- Assistance for strengthening of the capacity to deal with sea-level rising caused by the global warming (consideration of JICA training courses etc.)
- Capacity building based on CAPaBLE (Scientific capacity building/enhancement for sustainable development in developing countries)
(d) Japan Fund for the Global Environment
Support including grant for environmental conservation activities by NGOs/ NPOs
(e) Appropriate use of forestry resource
- Bilateral and multilateral cooperation in areas such as forestry resource management
(2) Health
(a) Promotion of measures to fight infectious diseases
- Assistance through JICA technical cooperation (Implementation of technical cooperation projects, training courses and dispatch of experts and volunteers etc.)
- Cooperation for PacELF (the Pacific Program to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis) through JICA technical cooperation (provision of medical equipment)
- Measures against avian flu (consideration based on Japan's assistance plan for avian and human pandemic influenza)
- Assistance to NGOs' activities through HIV/AIDS Japan Trust Fund.
(b) Improvement of the basic health service
- Assistance through JICA technical cooperation (implementation of technical cooperation projects and dispatch of experts and volunteers, training courses etc.)
- Assistance through Grant Aid cooperation for Grassroots Human Security Projects Program
- Assistance to distance medical education (nurse education etc.) through the operation of POLHN (Pacific Open Learning Health Net)
(3) Water and Sanitation
- Assistance based on the "Water and Sanitation Broad Partnership Initiative" (WASABI) announced in the Fourth World Water Forum, such as improvement of water and sewerage systems
(4) Education and Vocational Training
(a) Strengthening of the basic education
- Assistance through JICA technical cooperation (implementation of technical cooperation projects, training courses, and dispatch of experts and volunteers etc.)
- Cooperation through the UNESCO Japanese Funds-in-Trust for the Capacity-building of Human Resources (Better Management of the Education Sector and promoting the Status of Teachers in the Pacific)
(b) Strengthening of higher education
- Consideration of the Project for the Construction of the University of the South Pacific Information and Communication Technology Center(Grant Aid)
(c) Strengthening of the vocational and technical education
- Assistance through JICA technical cooperation (technical cooperation projects, dispatch of experts and volunteers on higher vocational training, and training courses so on.)
- Cooperation through ILO's strategic framework for skills and employability in the Asia and Pacific region. (Strengthening vocational training network among member countries in the region and so on.)
(d) Promoting Decade of Education for Sustainable Development
- Improvement of curriculum of Primary and Secondary schools, establishment of post graduate course in cooperation with USP in Fiji etc.
3. Good Governance
PIF Members and Japan share the view that "Good Governance" is a basis for securing the stability of the Pacific region and to realize "a more robust and prosperous Pacific Region". PIF Members and Japan have been enhancing cooperation in this area under the "Okinawa Initiative" of PALM 3. Japan will provide its assistance for the PIF Members' efforts towards "good governance" in line with the Pacific Plan.
(1) Strengthening administrative capacity
* Assistance through JICA technical cooperation (training courses, dispatch of experts and volunteers, etc.)
* Considering ways to share the achievement of Japan's cooperation for capacity-building toward the Southeast Asian countries (JICA third-country training courses etc.)
(2) Assistance for strengthening institutions
* Assistance through JICA technical cooperation (training courses, dispatch of experts and volunteers etc.)
* Assistance through Japan's contribution to PIF activities in such areas as law enforcement capacity building.
(3) Assistance to efforts by Solomon Islands for improved governance
* Capacity building through PIF activities
4. Security
Acknowledging that security is a prerequisite for "a more robust and prosperous Pacific Region", Japan will provide the following assistance for the PIF Members' efforts to work on issues including natural disaster and organized crimes.
(1) Disaster mitigation and management
* Assistance through JICA technical cooperation (technical cooperation projects, training courses, and dispatch of experts etc.) based on the "Hyogo Framework of Action 2005-2015"
* Provision of tsunami information through the Northwest Pacific Tsunami Advisory Center of Japan Meteorological Agency
(2) Measures against Organized Crime
* Assistance through PIF activities for law enforcement program
5. People to People Communication and Exchange
"People to People Communication and Exchange" is the foundation for any partnership. Japan will promote such exchanges with PIF Members and the cultural exchange program for the enhancement of friendship and mutual understanding.
(1) Youth exchange
Japan will aim to implement youth exchange of more than 1000 people over the three years through such schemes as "High school students exchange", "pupils and youth exchange", "World Youth Ship Program".
(2) Cultural exchange and preservation of cultural heritage
* Assistance through UNESCO/Japan Funds-in-Trust for Preservation and Promotion of Intangible Cultural Heritage
* Cultural Grant Aid