As the world's third-largest economic power, Japan contributes to the international community in various ways, including ODA and humanitarian assistance. Let us consider the significance of international cooperation and Japan's role from the perspectives of the SDGs and human security.
Basic Knowledge
ODA (Official Development Assistance) is financial and technical assistance provided by the governments of developed countries to developing countries. It is divided into grants and loans (which must be repaid), and Japan has long been one of the world's leading ODA donor countries. ODA is overseen by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency), as its implementing agency, is responsible for technical cooperation, grant aid, and yen loans.
Apart from governments and international organizations, NGOs (non-governmental organizations) conduct support activities at the grassroots level. NGOs are private organizations independent of governments and work in fields such as humanitarian assistance, development, the environment, and human rights.
Since the 1990s, the concept of human security, which aims to protect not only national security but also individual security, has spread mainly through the United Nations. It seeks to guarantee both freedom from want (poverty and hunger) and freedom from fear (violence and persecution).
The SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), adopted by the United Nations in 2015, set out 17 goals and 169 targets to be achieved by 2030, based on the principle of "Leave No One Behind."
ODA (Official Development Assistance) (Financial and technical assistance from developed-country governments to developing countries)
JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) (Japan's ODA implementing agency, responsible for technical cooperation, yen loans, and other assistance)
NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) (A private international cooperation and support organization independent of governments)
Human Security (A concept that shifts the focus from national security to the protection of individual safety and dignity)
SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) (Adopted in 2015; 17 goals, 169 targets, and a 2030 deadline)
PKO Cooperation Law (Japan's law establishing the participation of the Self-Defense Forces in United Nations peacekeeping operations; enacted in 1992)
Further Study (Background and Significance)
Japan became the world's largest ODA donor in the 1980s, but reductions continued because of worsening public finances. In recent years, strategic ODA emphasizing "quality infrastructure" and "human security" has received greater attention. As the only country to have experienced atomic bombings in wartime, Japan also promotes diplomacy for nuclear abolition and plays a unique role in peacebuilding and humanitarian assistance.
The SDGs were adopted as the successor to the MDGs (Millennium Development Goals) of the 2000s. They are characterized by being universal goals that include developed countries. The 17 goals cover a wide range of fields, including "No Poverty," "Gender Equality," and "Climate Action." Companies, local governments, and individuals are also expected to promote the SDGs, directly connecting them with "active participation in society." Cooperation between NGOs and ODA (partnerships between NGOs and governments) is also important, and JICA has established partnership programs with NGOs.
- JICA is the implementing agency for ODA. Its three main areas are technical cooperation, grant aid, and yen loans.
- NGOs are private organizations independent of governments. They work at the grassroots level.
- Human security means achieving both "freedom from want" and "freedom from fear."
- The SDGs consist of 17 goals, 169 targets, and a 2030 deadline. Developed countries are also included.
- The principle of the SDGs is "Leave No One Behind."
- Japan has participated in PKO activities since the enactment of the PKO Cooperation Law in 1992.
- ODA includes grants (which do not need to be repaid) and loans (which must be repaid).
Points to Note (Easily Confused)
① The difference between ODA and NGOs: ODA is public assistance led by governments, while NGOs are activities conducted by private non-governmental organizations. ② Do not confuse the SDGs (adopted in 2015, with a 2030 deadline) with the MDGs (adopted in 2000, with a 2015 deadline). ③ Human security is not a "rejection of military national security" but an "expansion of the concept of security to the individual level." ④ A yen loan is not "grant aid" but "paid financial cooperation" that must be repaid.
Practice
- Describe the differences between international cooperation by ODA and by NGOs, and explain the characteristics of each.
- Explain the background behind the emergence of the concept of "human security" and its content.
- Choose two of the 17 SDGs and describe the content of each and an example of an initiative in Japan.