Attendance by Foreign Minister IWAYA at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) Thematic Event ‘Human Security and Economic Development in Africa: Addressing Multidimensional Challenges and Shaping the Future Beyond 2030’

On 20 August, Mr. IWAYA Takeshi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, attended the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) thematic event ‘Human Security and Economic Development in Africa: Addressing Multidimensional Challenges and Shaping the Future Beyond 2030’ and delivered a speech at the beginning of the event. The summary of his speech is as follows:

1. Foreign Minister IWAYA began by stating that Japan has fulfilled its role as a reliable partner to Africa, and that in the current global environment of complex crises, it is important for Japan and Africa to work together to pursue solutions that leverage the strengths of both sides in order to address the challenges Africa and the world are facing. He also stated that Japan aims to ‘co-create innovative solutions’ with Africa.
2. Foreign Minister IWAYA also stated that in recent years, Africa has been facing complex and interrelated crises such as climate change, and that traditional development approaches are not sufficient to solve these issues. He said that human security, which Japan has promoted as a pillar of its foreign policy, is a comprehensive approach that emphasises the protection of each and every human being, and that human security is an indispensable concept for building a future full of freedom, safety, and hope for the people, with an emphasis on peace and development in Africa.
3. Furthermore, Foreign Minister IWAYA introduced the ‘Agenda 2063,’ Africa’s long-term strategy, which aims to ‘eradicate conflict and violence (Silencing the Gun) ’ as its flagship initiative based on the concept of human security. He reaffirmed Japan’s support for Africa’s efforts to prioritize human security and pointed out the critical importance of high-quality development cooperation by JICA and the role of international organizations such as the United Nations. He then stated that Japan will continue to prioritize multilateralism and actively promote international cooperation.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.