A joint annual consultative meeting on partnership and policy with regards to ODA between NGO representatives and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) was held on 2nd June at MOFA to strengthen communication and understanding.

Participants included Mitsuhiro Saotome, Ambassador for Civil Society, Special Assistant to MOFA, Nobuki Sugita, Deputy Director-General, Economic Cooperation Bureau (ECB), and Shigemi Jomori, Director, NGO Assistance Division, ECB, MOFA. NGO representatives included Yoshitake Funato, Chair, and Hideyuki Takahashi, Vice-Chair, JANIC, and Director, Resource Development and Campaign, JOICFP.

A mother
caring for two babies in Tanzania

In a presentation to the meeting, Takahashi said that although the trend was of declining ODA, this need not be thought of as negative by NGOs as there was now a bigger role for them to play, especially in delivering effective assistance to those who need it most at the grassroots level.

Takahashi explained that at current levels of commitment, it seemed unlikely that the internationally agreed MDGs would be attained by the target year of 2015. This was based on observations at the grassroots, where little ODA reaches those in need; women and children. Existing channels of administering ODA are inadequate, he said.

If the eight MDGs are to be achieved, policies and practices must be reviewed and cooperation with NGOs increased to effectively use shrinking resources, he emphasized. Furthermore, NGO participation in developing countries fosters civil society, thereby strengthening sustainability through community participation and ownership.

Weighing newborn
babies at a community health post in Indonesia.

At present, less than 2% of Japanese ODA goes through NGOs. Compared with the average of 0.33% of Gross National Income (GNI) for ODA in 22 OECD DACs (development assistance committees), Japanese ODA still ranks 17th, Takahashi stated, so there is room for great expansion in future.

On the surface, it seems that Japanese ODA has been increasing as in 2005 Japanese ODA accounted for US$13.1 billion out of a total from the 22 DACs of US$106.4 billion. However, Takahashi explained, 46.8% of Japan's ODA increase with US$4.18 billion had been debt relief for highly indebted countries, including a large amount for Iraq and Nigeria.

Raising awareness

Takahashi stressed that ODA came from taxpayers, but in most cases they had little idea how their taxes were making a difference to the lives of people in developing countries. The Human Security Grassroots Grant Assistance administered by Japanese embassies is highly regarded, but its comprehensive and actual activities remain unknown, he said. Japanese NGOs could collect and provide information to the public, thereby meeting the requirements for ODA accountability, he stated, and this would also encourage all concerned.

The comparatively higher rate of ODA from developed countries that goes through NGOs is for those who are actually in the field, but NGOs in developing countries are building their capacity and are becoming more able, he said. What are needed are policy and mechanism changes to support partnership between Japanese NGOs and local NGOs in developing countries, he explained.

Provding a fruit tree
nursery for peasant farmers in Afghanistan

Takahashi finished by saying that although these issues were not new, now more than ever the role of NGOs must be increased, and that network NGOs could play a greater role in raising awareness, building NGO capacity, and in advocacy.