Moshi — THE city of Yokohama in Japan is setting the stage for welcoming the seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 7).
This was revealed by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Tanzania, Shinichi Goto, who is currently in a three-day press tour of various Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), projects in Dar es Salaam, Moshi and Arusha which focuses towards TICAD 7.
Under the theme ‘Africa and Yokohama, sharing Passion for the future’ TICAD was established in order to refocus international attention on the importance and urgency of African development issues as well as to promote high-level policy dialogue between African leaders and development partners.
“After the developed countries’ interest in providing assistance to Africa began to wane in the 1990s, TICAD took shape,” he explained.
He further elaborated that the first TICAD was organized in 1993 by Japan, with the corporation of the United Nations and global coalition for Africa, and attracted participants from 4 8 African countries, including five heads of state.
He elaborated that TICAD is an inclusive and open forum which includes participants from not only African countries but also international organizations, partner countries, private sector, and civil society.
It’s a forum that will further promote the relationship between Japan and African countries, including Tanzania, he pointed out.
TICAD 1, he said, puts aid and development in Africa back on the international agenda.
