The Need to Place Development Aid in the Mainstream of Japanese Policy Making
OKAMURA Kunio / Senior Special Advisor, JICA
July 25, 2012
Today, a great number of people in the world are feeling uncertain and anxious about the future. Unfortunately, this is not an exaggeration.
The euro crisis has reached the height of confusion in Europe, the global balance of power is undergoing drastic change amid low growth in advanced countries and the rise of newly emerging countries, countries that celebrated the Arab Spring have experienced complications and the actual worrying situation in Syria resulting in greater insecurity in the Middle East, our response to changes in the environment and climate has been slow, and poverty and inequality persist despite some progress in recent years. In our world today, both the benefits and problems of globalization transcend the conventional floodgates of country and region, instantly spilling over far and wide, and diverse interests have become intricately intertwined.
Faced with this reality, contemporary politics and politicians have been unable to offer effective solutions in a timely and accurate manner. At the G20 held in Mexico, the best they could do was to agree on a common direction on the European crisis, and discussions on other pressing issues seem to have been discarded. And despite the growing severity of the state of the environment and poverty, the RIO+20, which was attended by a total of 50,000 participants including many heads of states, ended without producing significant accomplishments. No common ground for the international community is in sight and the creation of a new international order remains elusive. Voters have become increasingly disillusioned by politics, and as a result we find ourselves in a situation where decisions are easily swayed towards more visible policies that offer partial, short-term benefits, which are also often protectionist.
Let us now turn to Japan. Its problems are manifold, including an economic slump, massive budget deficits and an aging population. At the point of writing (end of June), neither G20 nor RIO+20 is on Japan's political agenda. Debate over the consumption tax has instead dominated the scene. A recent poll sought public opinion on areas of the budget that should be cut in exchange for the rise in the consumption tax. Results showed that salaries of public servants ranked first, followed by the ODA (Official Development Aid) budget. Those of us responsible for development aid are to be blamed for much of this outcome. Simply doing the right thing does not win us automatic recognition.
According to the DAC's (Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) statistics for2011, the total ODA performance of DAC countries' net disbursements declined for the first time since 1997, reflecting their difficult fiscal situations. In retrospect, amid the general trend of aid fatigue that followed the end of the Cold War era, Japan had increased its aid as an undisputed new economic power, maintaining its position as the top donor throughout the 1990s. 1997 actually marked the peak of Japan's ODA budget. Since then, in contrast to western countries that began increasing their aid based on the Millennium Development Goals, Japan's ODA budget continued to fall to less than half its peak levels today, placing it fifth in terms of net disbursements among DAC countries.
And what of the future? Climate change is expected to cause natural disasters of greater severity and requires an immediate global response. In a world that is already fragile, there is a growing need for eliminating factors that prevent stable development, such as poverty and inequality. One of the few achievements of RIO+20 reported by the media was the "Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)." While their targets and method of goal setting are yet to be decided, it is highly likely that the SDGs will become an important guideline for the future of the world. Furthermore, as newly emerging countries in Asia and other regions continue to demonstrate a remarkable track record in development, we are looking ahead to a world centered on countries currently categorized as developing countries.
In light of these developments, what should Japan do now? I would like to propose placing development aid in the mainstream as one of its possible actions. The reasons are as follows.
First, due to its high dependence on the international community, it is imperative that Japan maintain and reinforce favorable international relations as well as its status in the world. World stability and peace is the very foundation of Japan's prosperity. And development aid is an important tool to that end.
Second, the stated purpose of development aid is to take actions that will bring certain benefits to future generations. Development aid is thus noteworthy for offering a more reliable promise for the future compared with other investments.
Third, in the global pursuit for a future model of a "sustainable society," Japan has much to offer as a country that has been tackling the issue from early on. By strengthening its development aid and placing it in the mainstream, Japan can promote its initiatives as a Win-Win process. Today, cities consume a large proportion of various natural resources and emit nearly 70% of greenhouse gases. Against this reality, many Japanese cities have been engaged in an effort to build a low-carbon system by limiting consumption of natural resources and recycling. Kita Kyushu, Yokohama and Kawasaki are among the many pioneering examples. Their experience can be turned to great use by developing countries that are currently facing rapid urbanization.
I should also add that either directly or indirectly, development aid exerts a positive impact not only on diplomacy but also on various areas including trade and investment, finance, security and global issues, which all constitute the pillars of a country's foreign policy. Precisely because we live in a world made of a complicated web of interests, making development aid our mainstream policy presents itself as an option that is at once smart and clever.
The writer is Senior Special Advisor of the JICA, Japan International Cooperation Agency.
(Opinions expressed in this article belong to the writer and does not necessarily represent JICA’s standpoint.)
The euro crisis has reached the height of confusion in Europe, the global balance of power is undergoing drastic change amid low growth in advanced countries and the rise of newly emerging countries, countries that celebrated the Arab Spring have experienced complications and the actual worrying situation in Syria resulting in greater insecurity in the Middle East, our response to changes in the environment and climate has been slow, and poverty and inequality persist despite some progress in recent years. In our world today, both the benefits and problems of globalization transcend the conventional floodgates of country and region, instantly spilling over far and wide, and diverse interests have become intricately intertwined.
Faced with this reality, contemporary politics and politicians have been unable to offer effective solutions in a timely and accurate manner. At the G20 held in Mexico, the best they could do was to agree on a common direction on the European crisis, and discussions on other pressing issues seem to have been discarded. And despite the growing severity of the state of the environment and poverty, the RIO+20, which was attended by a total of 50,000 participants including many heads of states, ended without producing significant accomplishments. No common ground for the international community is in sight and the creation of a new international order remains elusive. Voters have become increasingly disillusioned by politics, and as a result we find ourselves in a situation where decisions are easily swayed towards more visible policies that offer partial, short-term benefits, which are also often protectionist.
Let us now turn to Japan. Its problems are manifold, including an economic slump, massive budget deficits and an aging population. At the point of writing (end of June), neither G20 nor RIO+20 is on Japan's political agenda. Debate over the consumption tax has instead dominated the scene. A recent poll sought public opinion on areas of the budget that should be cut in exchange for the rise in the consumption tax. Results showed that salaries of public servants ranked first, followed by the ODA (Official Development Aid) budget. Those of us responsible for development aid are to be blamed for much of this outcome. Simply doing the right thing does not win us automatic recognition.
According to the DAC's (Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) statistics for2011, the total ODA performance of DAC countries' net disbursements declined for the first time since 1997, reflecting their difficult fiscal situations. In retrospect, amid the general trend of aid fatigue that followed the end of the Cold War era, Japan had increased its aid as an undisputed new economic power, maintaining its position as the top donor throughout the 1990s. 1997 actually marked the peak of Japan's ODA budget. Since then, in contrast to western countries that began increasing their aid based on the Millennium Development Goals, Japan's ODA budget continued to fall to less than half its peak levels today, placing it fifth in terms of net disbursements among DAC countries.
And what of the future? Climate change is expected to cause natural disasters of greater severity and requires an immediate global response. In a world that is already fragile, there is a growing need for eliminating factors that prevent stable development, such as poverty and inequality. One of the few achievements of RIO+20 reported by the media was the "Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)." While their targets and method of goal setting are yet to be decided, it is highly likely that the SDGs will become an important guideline for the future of the world. Furthermore, as newly emerging countries in Asia and other regions continue to demonstrate a remarkable track record in development, we are looking ahead to a world centered on countries currently categorized as developing countries.
In light of these developments, what should Japan do now? I would like to propose placing development aid in the mainstream as one of its possible actions. The reasons are as follows.
First, due to its high dependence on the international community, it is imperative that Japan maintain and reinforce favorable international relations as well as its status in the world. World stability and peace is the very foundation of Japan's prosperity. And development aid is an important tool to that end.
Second, the stated purpose of development aid is to take actions that will bring certain benefits to future generations. Development aid is thus noteworthy for offering a more reliable promise for the future compared with other investments.
Third, in the global pursuit for a future model of a "sustainable society," Japan has much to offer as a country that has been tackling the issue from early on. By strengthening its development aid and placing it in the mainstream, Japan can promote its initiatives as a Win-Win process. Today, cities consume a large proportion of various natural resources and emit nearly 70% of greenhouse gases. Against this reality, many Japanese cities have been engaged in an effort to build a low-carbon system by limiting consumption of natural resources and recycling. Kita Kyushu, Yokohama and Kawasaki are among the many pioneering examples. Their experience can be turned to great use by developing countries that are currently facing rapid urbanization.
I should also add that either directly or indirectly, development aid exerts a positive impact not only on diplomacy but also on various areas including trade and investment, finance, security and global issues, which all constitute the pillars of a country's foreign policy. Precisely because we live in a world made of a complicated web of interests, making development aid our mainstream policy presents itself as an option that is at once smart and clever.
The writer is Senior Special Advisor of the JICA, Japan International Cooperation Agency.
(Opinions expressed in this article belong to the writer and does not necessarily represent JICA’s standpoint.)
The English-Speaking Union of Japan
なぜ今、開発援助の主流化が必要なのか？
岡村 邦夫 / 国際協力機構 上級審議役
2012年 7月 25日
残念ながら、現在、世界の多くの人々が将来への不透明感と不安を感じていると言っても、過言ではないかもしれない。
欧州において混迷を極めるユーロ危機、先進諸国の低成長と新興国の台頭により大きく変わりつつある世界の勢力バランス、アラブの春に沸いた国々の以降の紆余曲折とシリア等中東の不安定化、環境・気候変動への対処の遅れ、改善は一部見られるものの相変わらず残る貧困と格差の問題、等々。グローバル化と言われる世界は、国や地域という従来の堰を越えて、その便益のみならず問題も瞬時に広く伝播し、また多様な利害が複雑に交錯する状況となっている。
その前で現代の政治そして政治家は有効な処方箋を適時・的確に示すことができていない。メキシコでのG20も欧州危機対応で共通の方向性を出すことが精一杯で、他の重要課題の議論は払拭された感がある。多くの国の首脳も含む計５万人が参加したRIO+20は、環境問題や貧困が深刻化しているにもかかわらず、目立った成果をあげられぬまま閉幕した。国際社会の一致点は見えず、新たな国際秩序の創設もままならず、有権者の政治に対する無力感は高まり、結果、より見えやすい部分的・短期的利益を目指す（時として保護主義的）政策が選択されやすい状況となっている。
日本においてはどうか。経済の低迷、巨大な財政赤字、高齢化等々課題は山積である。このような状況もあり、日本の政治は現時点（6月末）で、G20でもRIO+20でもなく、消費税増税の是非の議論一色の感がある。最近のある世論調査によれば、消費税増税の引き換えに削減すべき財源として、第１位の公務員給与に続き、第２位にODA（政府開発援助）予算があげられている。開発援助を担う我々も自戒すべき点は多い。単に自分たちはいいことをやっているだけでは認められない。
2011年のDAC諸国のODA実績合計を見ると、厳しい財政状況を反映して、支出純額ベースでは1997年以来初めての減少を記録している。過去を振り返ると、冷戦終結後のいわゆる援助疲れの風潮の中で、一方日本は押しも押されぬ新たな経済大国として援助を増額し1990年代世界のトップドナーであった。実際この1997年は、日本のODA予算がピークの年でもあった。その後ミレニアム開発目標を設定し、援助の増額に転じた欧米諸国とは逆に、日本のODA予算は現在ピーク時の半分以下まで減り続け、DAC諸国の中で支出純額ベース第5位となってしまっている。
予見される将来はどうか。気候変動による自然災害の更なる激甚化も見込まれる中、地球規模での対応は待ったなしだ。また、ただでさえ揺らぎかねない世界で、貧困や格差など安定した発展を妨げるものを取り除く必要性は高まっている。RIO+20でマスコミが数少ない成果としたのが『持続可能な開発目標（SDGｓ）』である。その対象や目標設定方法などはこれからだが、今後の世界の重要な指針の一つとなっていく可能性が高い。更に、アジア等の新興国の発展が目覚ましいトラックレコードを示す中、今後は、これまでの区分で言うところの途上国が中心となる世界が見えていると言ってもいいだろう。
では、日本は今どうしたらいいのか。やるべきことの一つとして、開発援助の主流化を主張したい。
先ず第一に、国際依存度の高さから、特に日本は良好な国際的関係と地位を維持・強化していくことが不可欠である。また、世界の安定と平和こそ、日本の繁栄の基礎である。開発援助はその重要なツールである。
第二に、将来が不透明であるからこそ、開発援助には、将来の世代へ確実に役立つことを行うことを本来の目的とするという、実は他の投資に比べて着実なる将来性のある点にも注目すべきである。
第三に、今後世界が目指さなければならない「持続可能な社会」のモデルについては、日本が早くから取り組んできている活躍の余地が高い分野である。開発援助を強化して主流化することにより、これをWin-winの形で推進できる。様々な天然資源の多くを消費し、かつ温室効果ガス排出の約7割は都市という現状で、低炭素化を目指し天然資源の消費を抑えリサイクルする都市ベースでの取組は、日本には北九州、横浜、川崎などの多くの先進事例があり、これは都市化が急速に進む途上国で大いに活用できよう。
更に付け加えれば、国としての対外政策の柱、外交はいうまでもなく、貿易・投資、金融、安全保障、地球規模課題のいずれの側面でも、開発援助は直接あるいは間接的にポジティブな影響を与えうるものであること見逃せない。利害が複雑に交錯する世界であるからこそ、今、開発援助の主流化がスマートかつクレバーな選択肢と言えるのではないだろうか。
（筆者は国際協力機構（JICA）上級審議役。本稿の意見は、筆者個人のものであり、JICAの立場を代表するものではありません。）
欧州において混迷を極めるユーロ危機、先進諸国の低成長と新興国の台頭により大きく変わりつつある世界の勢力バランス、アラブの春に沸いた国々の以降の紆余曲折とシリア等中東の不安定化、環境・気候変動への対処の遅れ、改善は一部見られるものの相変わらず残る貧困と格差の問題、等々。グローバル化と言われる世界は、国や地域という従来の堰を越えて、その便益のみならず問題も瞬時に広く伝播し、また多様な利害が複雑に交錯する状況となっている。
その前で現代の政治そして政治家は有効な処方箋を適時・的確に示すことができていない。メキシコでのG20も欧州危機対応で共通の方向性を出すことが精一杯で、他の重要課題の議論は払拭された感がある。多くの国の首脳も含む計５万人が参加したRIO+20は、環境問題や貧困が深刻化しているにもかかわらず、目立った成果をあげられぬまま閉幕した。国際社会の一致点は見えず、新たな国際秩序の創設もままならず、有権者の政治に対する無力感は高まり、結果、より見えやすい部分的・短期的利益を目指す（時として保護主義的）政策が選択されやすい状況となっている。
日本においてはどうか。経済の低迷、巨大な財政赤字、高齢化等々課題は山積である。このような状況もあり、日本の政治は現時点（6月末）で、G20でもRIO+20でもなく、消費税増税の是非の議論一色の感がある。最近のある世論調査によれば、消費税増税の引き換えに削減すべき財源として、第１位の公務員給与に続き、第２位にODA（政府開発援助）予算があげられている。開発援助を担う我々も自戒すべき点は多い。単に自分たちはいいことをやっているだけでは認められない。
2011年のDAC諸国のODA実績合計を見ると、厳しい財政状況を反映して、支出純額ベースでは1997年以来初めての減少を記録している。過去を振り返ると、冷戦終結後のいわゆる援助疲れの風潮の中で、一方日本は押しも押されぬ新たな経済大国として援助を増額し1990年代世界のトップドナーであった。実際この1997年は、日本のODA予算がピークの年でもあった。その後ミレニアム開発目標を設定し、援助の増額に転じた欧米諸国とは逆に、日本のODA予算は現在ピーク時の半分以下まで減り続け、DAC諸国の中で支出純額ベース第5位となってしまっている。
予見される将来はどうか。気候変動による自然災害の更なる激甚化も見込まれる中、地球規模での対応は待ったなしだ。また、ただでさえ揺らぎかねない世界で、貧困や格差など安定した発展を妨げるものを取り除く必要性は高まっている。RIO+20でマスコミが数少ない成果としたのが『持続可能な開発目標（SDGｓ）』である。その対象や目標設定方法などはこれからだが、今後の世界の重要な指針の一つとなっていく可能性が高い。更に、アジア等の新興国の発展が目覚ましいトラックレコードを示す中、今後は、これまでの区分で言うところの途上国が中心となる世界が見えていると言ってもいいだろう。
では、日本は今どうしたらいいのか。やるべきことの一つとして、開発援助の主流化を主張したい。
先ず第一に、国際依存度の高さから、特に日本は良好な国際的関係と地位を維持・強化していくことが不可欠である。また、世界の安定と平和こそ、日本の繁栄の基礎である。開発援助はその重要なツールである。
第二に、将来が不透明であるからこそ、開発援助には、将来の世代へ確実に役立つことを行うことを本来の目的とするという、実は他の投資に比べて着実なる将来性のある点にも注目すべきである。
第三に、今後世界が目指さなければならない「持続可能な社会」のモデルについては、日本が早くから取り組んできている活躍の余地が高い分野である。開発援助を強化して主流化することにより、これをWin-winの形で推進できる。様々な天然資源の多くを消費し、かつ温室効果ガス排出の約7割は都市という現状で、低炭素化を目指し天然資源の消費を抑えリサイクルする都市ベースでの取組は、日本には北九州、横浜、川崎などの多くの先進事例があり、これは都市化が急速に進む途上国で大いに活用できよう。
更に付け加えれば、国としての対外政策の柱、外交はいうまでもなく、貿易・投資、金融、安全保障、地球規模課題のいずれの側面でも、開発援助は直接あるいは間接的にポジティブな影響を与えうるものであること見逃せない。利害が複雑に交錯する世界であるからこそ、今、開発援助の主流化がスマートかつクレバーな選択肢と言えるのではないだろうか。
（筆者は国際協力機構（JICA）上級審議役。本稿の意見は、筆者個人のものであり、JICAの立場を代表するものではありません。）
一般社団法人 日本英語交流連盟