Policy Updates

On May 23-25, 2024, the G7 Ministers of Finance met at a summit in Stresa, Italy, where the ministers voiced support for contributions to the IDA, WHO, Gavi, and the Global Fund in the resulting communiqué.

The G7 ministers supported efforts towards a successful 21^st replenishment of the IDA by the end of 2024 through an ambitious policy and financing package. Notably, they did not give a concrete signal that the critical US$100 billion threshold requested by the World Bank will be crossed, nor any indication of the US$120 billion expected by African leaders.

The ministers reaffirmed their dedication to strengthening the governance and finance of the global health architecture and voiced support for refinancing processes of several GHIs, such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the WHO, and the Global Fund, and expressed support for the Pandemic Fund. The communiqué called on the donor community to coordinate efforts and increase investments in global health in line with their capacities to ensure sustainable funding and maximize the impact of available resources.

Following the summit, the C7 pointed out the G7's lack of ambition and financial commitment to international development, including climate adaptation. International civil society organizations criticized the lack of any reference to allocating SDRs to global solidarity.

On May 14-15, 2024, the C7 summit was held at the UN FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy, organized by the Italian Civil Society Coalition that led, coordinated, and moderated the C7 2024 process.

Approximately 400 global representatives took part in the event, as well as international decision-makers, including FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu, Italian G7 sherpa Ambassador Elisabetta Belloni, Cardinal, President of the Italian Episcopal Conference, Pope’s envoy for the Russian-Ukrainian conflict Matteo Maria Zuppi, and Director of the UN SDG Action Campaign Marina Ponti.

The official C7 communiqué that listed the international civil society recommendation to the G7’s Leaders around seven key issues was released at the event, which included:

• Economic justice and transformation;
• Climate, energy transformation, and environmental justice;
• Global health;
• Principled humanitarian assistance;
• Peace, common security, and nuclear disarmament;
• Human mobility and migration; and
• Food justice and food systems transformation.

On March 22, 2024, it was announced that TICAD 9 will be held in Yokohama, Japan from August 20-25, 2025.

TICAD is an international conference led by the Japanese government in collaboration with various international organizations such as the UN, the UNDP, the African Union Commission, and the World Bank. The conference aims to promote high-level policy dialogue between African leaders and development partners, including Japan, to address the developmental challenges facing Africa.

In previous iterations, the conference focused on key issues such as economic development, poverty reduction, healthcare, education, infrastructure, and sustainable development in Africa. TICAD has been held regularly since its inception in 1993 and is considered one of the most significant platforms for African development cooperation.

On March 6, 2024, Japan pledged a JPY14 billion loan (US$93 million) to Rwanda aimed at fostering economic and social transformation by improving teacher training and the educational environment.

This initiative, titled Development Policy Loan for the Education Sector, is slated to strengthen teacher training institutions, promote educational digital transformation, and enhance internal efficiency, contributing to the development of globally competitive talent.

This loan builds on Japan’s commitment, expressed at the TICAD8, to improve learning for children and provide quality education to 9 million people, alongside mainstreaming digital transformation in health, education, agriculture, and postal services.

On February 29, 2024, Japan pledged US$7 million to UNICEF to enhance the well-being and education of vulnerable and earthquake-affected children in Syria amid ongoing conflict and crises.

The contribution aimed to address the challenges faced by Syrian children after 13 years of conflict, economic crises, and recent earthquakes, which have caused significant fatalities and injuries and impacted millions, including 3.3 million children. This funding will support protection services, safe learning environments, and resilience-building for children and young people across Syria, emphasizing the recovery of learning losses and skills development for better societal integration and labor market engagement.

The donation underscored Japan’s commitment as a leading UNICEF donor, contributing approximately US$57 million between 2020 and 2023 to support Syrian children and families, underlining the importance of sustainable funding for early recovery and resilience-building efforts in the region.

On February 16, 2023, Japan committed JPY481 million (US$4 million) to a UNESCO project aimed at enhancing educational opportunities for girls in West Africa.

The funding initiative seeks to address the critical challenges of gender disparities and low educational attainment among girls in the Sahel region and its surroundings. The project focuses on training teachers and improving educational facilities in countries including Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Mauritania. It is designed to provide safe, high-quality education for girls, thereby contributing to regional peace and stability.

The effort aligns with the African Union's declaration of 2024 as the “Year of Education” and Japan's broader commitment to supporting education in Africa. This includes previous pledges to improve access to quality education for 4 million girls and substantial financial support aimed at promoting peace and sustainable growth in the Sahel and Gulf of Guinea nations.

On January 25, 2024, Japan signed an agreement with Zambia to provide JPY1.6 billion (US$15 million) in funding to enhance STEM education and improve the practical learning environment and the quality of education in STEM fields in Zambia.

The grant from Japan will be used to construct facilities and provide equipment for three STEM secondary schools in the vicinity of Lusaka as well as seven other STEM secondary schools and a National Science Center located in seven different states. This initiative is expected to improve the practical environment for STEM education and enhance the quality of teaching through expanded training opportunities for teachers, contributing to the development of professionals in science and mathematics in Zambia.

This cooperation aligns with Japan’s commitment, expressed at the TICAD8 in August 2022, to improve children’s learning and provide quality education, including STEM education, to 9 million people.

On January 9, 2024, Japan pledged US$3 million for the GPE to support children affected by Cyclone Freddy in Mozambique and to enhance the resilience of education to climate change in SSA.

The pledge reflected Japan’s commitment to addressing the intersection of climate change and education, recognizing the increasing threat that climate change poses to children’s right to education worldwide.

Cyclone Freddy struck Mozambique twice, on February 24 and March 11, 2023. It had a devastating impact, affecting almost 1.2 million people and disrupting the education of thousands of children. The storm highlighted the vulnerability of educational systems to climate-related disasters.

Japan signed the Declaration on the Common Agenda for Education and Climate Change at COP28 in November 2023 as a founding member. The declaration was a global acknowledgement of the critical relationship between education and climate action as foundational for a resilient and sustainable future for all children.

Japan’s contribution is slated to support GPE’s efforts to integrate climate change awareness into education. The funds from Japan will bolster continuous access to learning for children impacted by Cyclone Freddy and contribute to GPE’s Climate Smart Education Initiative. The initiative is planned to enhance the capacity of countries in SSA to incorporate climate change adaptation and environmental sustainability into their education sector plans, budgets, and strategies. The initiative also focuses on using climate data for planning and policy, improving school safety, accessing climate finance for adaptation, and integrating climate education into school curricula.

On November 1, 2023, the Japanese government announced the reopening of the JICA Ukraine office.

The office had been closed since the January 2022 lead-up to the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Staff from the office have since been working from neighboring countries.

JICA is responsible for over US$1.1 billion of assistance provided by Japan. It noted plans to use its Kyiv office to facilitate projects in the areas of agriculture, education, and industry. The organization will increase its presence in Ukraine and is expected to commence fully-fledged operations next year.

On October 6, 2023, Japan and UNICEF exchanged letters in Bamako, Mali, involving a grant of JPY520 million (US$5 million) promoting children's education in vulnerable areas of Mali.

Mali plays a crucial role in maintaining peace and stability in the Sahel region, but experts have noted it faces education challenges due to security issues, resulting in low enrollment rates and quality concerns.

The project aims to expand the UNICEF School for All Approach, improving education in vulnerable areas by constructing facilities, establishing functional school management committees, and fostering community participation. The collaboration aligned with Japan's commitments made during TICAD8 and the G7 Hiroshima Summit to support African peace and stability, with a specific focus on the Sahel region.