Japan
Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-17)
Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting
Statement by the Delegation of Japan
Africa (Thursday, 26 February 2009, 15:00-18:00 @ CR 4)
Thank you Mr. Chair,
I?m pleased to hear that the High-level Intersessional Regional Meeting for Africa held in
Namibia on February 9th, 2009 had fruitful outcomes. In addition to our financial contribution
to this conference, we dispatched a JICA senior official to share the results of the Fourth
Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) held last May in
Yokohama.
I would like to reiterate our commitments for cooperation with African countries. From the
inception of the TICAD process in the early 90?s, Japan has stressed the importance of
?Africa?s ownership? of its development as well as of the ?partnership? between Africa and the
international community. There was a consensus at TICAD IV regarding the importance of
agricultural and rural development, especially improving productivity, increasing relevant
infrastructure investment and assisting CAADP.
Turning now to the SG?s report, we would like to encourage non-Paris Club official bilateral
creditors and private creditors to provide comparable relief on HIPC terms for eligible
outstanding debt and to encourage non-HIPCs with debt distress to make efforts to improve
their domestic debt management systems. Detailed comments to this effect will be shared
with the Secretariat later.
The world is now facing a serious financial crisis, which has begun to influence the real
global economy. Regardless of such unexpected circumstances, Japan is committed to
fulfilling the promises it made at TICAD IV, including doubling its ODA to Africa by 2012.
To review its own implementation of commitments as well as those of others at TICAD IV,
Japan will be organizing a Ministerial Follow Up Meeting in Botswana on March 21-22.
Information on the progress made in implementing the Yokohama Action Plan will be
shared among all the relevant partners in order to shine a brighter light on the way forward.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Appendix: Japan?s comments on paragraph 103 (Page 24)
of the Report of the Secretary-General on Africa (E/CN.17/2009/8).
Indication for the necessity of new arrangements to tackle the debt problem is not desirable
as various measures are already in place such as Enhanced HIPCs, the MDRI, and the
Avian Approach, and it is more important to fully utilize the existing mechanisms. In
addition, non-Paris Club members are strongly encouraged to consider extending support
to eligible HIPCs countries. Furthermore, creating a new mechanism to accommodate the
issue of non-HIPCs countries is not a real solution to the problem, as it is necessary for
them to improve their debt management systems.
The MDG target of dealing comprehensively with the debt problems of developing countries
has not been achieved in full. Additional actions need to be taken to relieve the debt
burden of countries not part of the e-HIPC. Actions at all levels are needed to: strengthen
national debt management systems; remove obstacles that delay e-HIPC completion,
including additional resources for countries that have not yet reached completion point;
encourage non-Paris Club official bilateral creditors and private creditors to provide
comparable relief on HIPC terms for eligible outstanding debt; review and improve fully
utilize the existing Debt Sustainability Framework; establish an orderly sovereign debt
restructuring process for non-HIPCs with debt distress encourage non-HIPCs with debt
distress to make efforts to improve their domestic debt management systems; and increase
bilateral resource allocations to grant assistance rather than concessional lending.
Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting
Statement by the Delegation of Japan
Africa (Thursday, 26 February 2009, 15:00-18:00 @ CR 4)
Thank you Mr. Chair,
I?m pleased to hear that the High-level Intersessional Regional Meeting for Africa held in
Namibia on February 9th, 2009 had fruitful outcomes. In addition to our financial contribution
to this conference, we dispatched a JICA senior official to share the results of the Fourth
Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) held last May in
Yokohama.
I would like to reiterate our commitments for cooperation with African countries. From the
inception of the TICAD process in the early 90?s, Japan has stressed the importance of
?Africa?s ownership? of its development as well as of the ?partnership? between Africa and the
international community. There was a consensus at TICAD IV regarding the importance of
agricultural and rural development, especially improving productivity, increasing relevant
infrastructure investment and assisting CAADP.
Turning now to the SG?s report, we would like to encourage non-Paris Club official bilateral
creditors and private creditors to provide comparable relief on HIPC terms for eligible
outstanding debt and to encourage non-HIPCs with debt distress to make efforts to improve
their domestic debt management systems. Detailed comments to this effect will be shared
with the Secretariat later.
The world is now facing a serious financial crisis, which has begun to influence the real
global economy. Regardless of such unexpected circumstances, Japan is committed to
fulfilling the promises it made at TICAD IV, including doubling its ODA to Africa by 2012.
To review its own implementation of commitments as well as those of others at TICAD IV,
Japan will be organizing a Ministerial Follow Up Meeting in Botswana on March 21-22.
Information on the progress made in implementing the Yokohama Action Plan will be
shared among all the relevant partners in order to shine a brighter light on the way forward.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Appendix: Japan?s comments on paragraph 103 (Page 24)
of the Report of the Secretary-General on Africa (E/CN.17/2009/8).
Indication for the necessity of new arrangements to tackle the debt problem is not desirable
as various measures are already in place such as Enhanced HIPCs, the MDRI, and the
Avian Approach, and it is more important to fully utilize the existing mechanisms. In
addition, non-Paris Club members are strongly encouraged to consider extending support
to eligible HIPCs countries. Furthermore, creating a new mechanism to accommodate the
issue of non-HIPCs countries is not a real solution to the problem, as it is necessary for
them to improve their debt management systems.
The MDG target of dealing comprehensively with the debt problems of developing countries
has not been achieved in full. Additional actions need to be taken to relieve the debt
burden of countries not part of the e-HIPC. Actions at all levels are needed to: strengthen
national debt management systems; remove obstacles that delay e-HIPC completion,
including additional resources for countries that have not yet reached completion point;
encourage non-Paris Club official bilateral creditors and private creditors to provide
comparable relief on HIPC terms for eligible outstanding debt; review and improve fully
utilize the existing Debt Sustainability Framework; establish an orderly sovereign debt
restructuring process for non-HIPCs with debt distress encourage non-HIPCs with debt
distress to make efforts to improve their domestic debt management systems; and increase
bilateral resource allocations to grant assistance rather than concessional lending.
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