The Japan International Cooperation Agency (), also known as JICA'','' is a governmental agency that delivers the bulk of

Official Development Assistance Official development assistance (ODA) is a category used by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to measure foreign aid. The DAC first adopted the concept in 1969. It is w ...

(ODA) for the government of Japan. It is chartered with assisting economic and social growth in

developing countries A developing country is a sovereign state with a less-developed Secondary sector of the economy, industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to developed countries. However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. ...

and promoting international cooperation. According to the

OECD The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; , OCDE) is an international organization, intergovernmental organization with 38 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and international trade, wor ...

, Japan's total official development assistance (ODA) (US$17.5 billion, grant-equivalent methodology, preliminary data) increased in 2022 due to an increase in its bilateral lending, which included support to

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

. ODA represented 0.39% of

gross national income The gross national income (GNI), previously known as gross national product (GNP), is the total amount of factor incomes earned by the residents of a country. It is equal to gross domestic product (GDP), plus factor incomes received from ...

(GNI). The OECD's Development Assistance Committee published a peer review of Japan's development cooperation in October 2020. JICA was led by Shinichi Kitaoka, the former President of the International University of Japan, from 2015 to 2022. On 1 April 2022, Professor Akihiko Tanaka assumed the presidency.

History

JICA was formed in 2003 as a result of a comprehensive overhaul of Japan's ODA. It is now one of the largest bilateral development organizations in the world, with a network of 97 overseas offices, projects in more than 150 countries, and available financial resources of approximately 1 trillion yen ($8.5 billion). JICA is responsible for administering Japan's grant aid, providing technical cooperation and concessional loans to developing countries, strengthening collaboration with international institutions, and contributing to global development strategies. JICA has undergone an operational and organizational change in its country offices, placing greater emphasis on a field-based approach to programs/projects, decentralizing staff, and delegating increased authority from Tokyo headquarters to overseas offices, reducing bureaucracy, and fast-tracking programs/projects. JICA's focus has shifted towards providing "human security" to local communities by strengthening grassroots programs, such as improving education and health projects.

Timeline

* 1954 Apr - Japan joined the

Colombo Plan The Colombo Plan is a regional intergovernmental organization that began operations on 1 July 1951. The organization was conceived at an international conference, The Commonwealth Conference on Foreign Affairs held in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri ...

and initiated technical cooperation programs * 1962 Jun - Overseas Technology Cooperation Agency (OTCA) established * 1963 Jul - Japan Emigration Service (JEMIS) established * 1965 Apr - Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) program launched * 1974 Aug - OTCA and JEMIS merge to form the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) * 1987 Sep - Disaster Relief Team formed * 1989 - Total official development assistance (ODA) contributions exceed that of the United States to become the highest in the world * 1990 Apr - Senior Cooperation Specialist (Senior Overseas Volunteer) dispatch program begun * 2003 Oct - JICA established as an

Independent Administrative Institution An , or Independent Administrative Institution, is a type of legal corporation formulated by the Government of Japan under the Act on General Rules for Incorporated Administrative Agencies (Act no. 103 of 1999, revised in 2014). The independent age ...

Presidents

JICA's current and former presidents:Former President's Visits & Remarks
JICA * since 1 April 2022: Akihiko Tanaka * 1 October 2015 – 31 March 2022: Shinichi Kataoka * 30 March 2012 – 1 October 2015: Akihiko Tanaka * 1 October 2003 – 30 March 2012:

Sadako Ogata , was a Japanese academic, diplomat, author, administrator, and professor emerita at the Roman Catholic Sophia University. She was widely known as the head of the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) from 1991 to ...

Activities

JICA is part of Japan's official development assistance effort, with a role in providing technical cooperation, capital grants and yen loans. According to the

official development assistance Official development assistance (ODA) is a category used by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to measure foreign aid. The DAC first adopted the concept in 1969. It is w ...

from Japan increased by 1.2% to US$16.3 billion in 2020. JICA's core development programs (aid modalities) are technical assistance programs/projects for capacity and institutional development, feasibility studies and master plans, and dispatching specialists. The Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV), JICA Senior Volunteers, and Japan Disaster Relief Team groups of JICA are widely known among the Japanese general public. Japan Disaster Relief Team members are often seen in news reports on relief efforts after major

natural disaster A natural disaster is the very harmful impact on a society or community brought by natural phenomenon or Hazard#Natural hazard, hazard. Some examples of natural hazards include avalanches, droughts, earthquakes, floods, heat waves, landslides ...

s around the world, such as the 2005 South Asian earthquake. Specialists dispatched to the field include those recommended from related government ministries and agencies as well as those applying through the specialist registration system. Such assignments can last for more than a year.

Technical training program

JICA provides technical training for participants from developing countries in a wide range of fields, including medical, industrial, and agricultural training. This includes field-specific courses, which vary in length from three weeks to one year; country/region-specific courses; and individual training. JICA maintains International Centers in major Japanese cities, which serve as accommodation facilities for many of its programs.

Volunteer dispatch

* Japan (Youth) Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) * Senior Overseas Volunteers * Nikkei Society Youth Volunteers * Nikkei Society Senior Volunteers

References

External links

*
JICA official website in English
*
JICA official website in Japanese

*
JICA Japan Overseas Migration Museum website
{{Authority control International development agencies International Cooperation Agency International Cooperation Agency Government agencies established in 2003 2003 establishments in Japan