President Levy Mwanawasa has arrived in the Japanese coastal town of Yokohama to attend the fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development {TICAD 1V} scheduled for May 28 to 30, 2008.
The plane carrying President Mwanawasa and his entourage landed at Narita International Airport, in Tokyo, at 01:55 hours Zambian time.
President Mwanawasa was met on arrival at the airport by Foreign Affairs minister, Kabinga Pande, Zambia’s Ambassador to Japan, Godfrey Simasiku and senior Japanese government officials.
The president was later driven to Royal Park hotel in Yokohama where he will reside during the conference.
At the hotel, Dr Mwanawasa was received by president General of Royal Park Group of hotels, Terutake Miyamoto, Cabinet ministers in the advance party who included Finance and National Planning minister, Ng’andu Magande, Commerce, Trade and Industry minister Felix Mutati , Agriculture and Cooperatives minister, Sara Sayifwanda and other senior Zambian government officials.
TICAD is convened every five years to push the African development agenda forward and promote sustainable economic growth.
This year’s conference will be held under the theme ‘Towards a Vibrant Africa: Continent of Hope and Opportunity.’
Issues to be covered during the conference include ‘boosting economic growth through infrastructure, trade and investment, and agriculture, ensuring human security through achieving Millennium Development Goals, community development, public health and education.
The conference will also look at consolidation of peace and good governance through conflict prevention and assistance for democratization.
Environmental issues such as climate change, mitigation, improving energy access, adaptation, disaster prevention and water, will also rank high on the agenda.
Other issues topping the agenda include expanding partnerships through Asia- Africa Cooperation, Intra-Africa Cooperation, Private- Public Partnership, Africa Development Frontiers and Dialogue with Civil Society.
The Conference will end on Friday, May 30 with the Adoption of the Yokohama Declaration and announcement of the Chair’s summary.
This afternoon, president Mwanawasa is scheduled to meet the Economic Association of Japan {Keidanren}, Chief Representative of the New Komeito and Managing Director of Education Council of High Schools { EEC}, Hirofumi Ohnish before attending a welcome reception co- hosted by the Mayor of Yokohama and the Japanese minister of foreign affairs.
Tomorrow, Dr Mwanawasa will be among several Heads of State and government from Africa and other parts of the world at the official opening Session of the TICAD IV.
The president will make a presentation on ‘Boosting Economic Growth’ afterwhich he will meet with the president of Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA} before attending a Luncheon to be hosted by Japanese Prime minister Yasuo Fukuda.
According to the programme issued by the Zambian Embassy in Japan, President Mwanawasa is also scheduled to meet with Japanese Prime minister, Yasuo Fukuda at Intercontinental hotel and Executive Director for the United Nations World FOOD Programme {WFP} Ms Josette Sheeran at Royal Park hotel.
Later in the evening, Dr Mwanawasa will attend an Award ceremony Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize at the Royal Park hotel.
On Thursday, Dr Mwanawasa will meet Mr Hirofumi Kawano, President Of Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Cooperation, Vice President of Toyota Tsusho, Japan Extenal Trade Organisation Dr Tadataka Yamada, president of Global Health Programme and Ms Florentina Kuti of Bill AND Melinda Gates Foundation.
The President will wind up the day with a reception hosted by Japan-AU Parliamentary Friendship League. He will conclude his engagements in Japan with the adoption of the Yokohama Declaration.
President Mwanawasa leaves Japan on Saturday, 31 May, 2008.
The Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) was launched in 1993 to promote high-level policy dialogue between African leaders and development partners.
TICAD has since evolved into a major global framework to facilitate the implementation of initiatives for promoting African development under the dual principle of African “ownership” and international “partnership”.
A central feature of this framework is the cooperation between Asia and Africa.
TICAD enjoys the joint support of co-organizers, namely the Government of Japan, the Global Coalition for Africa (GCA), and the United Nations Office of the Special Advisor on Africa (UN-OSAA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank.
Its stakeholders include all African countries and development partners including Asian countries, donor nations, international agencies, civil society organizations, the private sector and parliaments.
The main objectives of TICAD are to promote high-level policy dialogue between African leaders and their partners to mobilize support for African-owned development initiatives. These objectives are embodied in the concept of “ownership” and “partnership”.
The first conference (TICAD I) took place in 1993. During that conference, co-organizers vowed to reverse the decline in development assistance for Africa, which had followed the end of the Cold War. Participants adopted the Tokyo Declaration on African Development, committing themselves to the pursuit of political and economic reforms in Africa, increased private sector development, regional cooperation and integration, and the harnessing of Asian experience of the benefit of African development.
Held in 1998, the second conference (TICAD II) renewed the commitment to Africa’s development challenges with poverty reduction and integration of Africa into the global economy as a primary theme, culminating in the adoption of the Tokyo Agenda for Action (TAA). The TAA outlined a framework of cooperation in the TICAD process identifying shared goals, objectives and guidelines for actions to be taken by Africa and its partners.
In 2003, the third conference (TICAD III) made an explicit commitment for the TICAD Initiative to support the African Union’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development, NEPAD, a Blueprint for Africa’s peace and socio-economic growth and development.
TICAD III was held in Tokyo with high-level participation of African leaders, including 23 Heads of State, and 10 heads of international organizations. It was heralded as one of the largest international conferences on African development. A political statement TICAD 10th Anniversary Declaration that renewed the commitment of leaders for African development was adopted at the conference.
