About TICAD

TICAD stands for the Tokyo International Conference on African Development. It was launched in 1993 to promote high-level policy dialogue between African leaders and development partners. TICAD has since evolved into a major global framework to facilitate the implementation of initiatives for promoting African development under the dual principle of African "ownership" and international "partnership.' A central feature of this framework is the cooperation between Asia and Africa.

TICAD enjoys the joint support of co-organizers, namely the Government of Japan, the Global Coalition for Africa (GCA), the United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (UN-OSAA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank. Its stakeholders include all African countries and development partners including Asian countries, donor nations, international agencies, civil society organizations, the private sector and parliaments.

TICAD's Main Objectives

The objectives of TICAD are two-fold:

  1. to promote high-level policy dialogue between African leaders and their partners; and
  2. to mobilize support for African-owned development initiatives.

These objectives are embodied in the concept of "ownership" and "partnership.'

TICAD Process

The first conference (TICAD I) took place in 1993. The co-organizers were determined to reverse the decline in development assistance for Africa which had followed the end of the Cold War. Participants adopted the Tokyo Declaration on African Development, committing to the pursuit of political and economic reforms in Africa, increased private sector development, regional cooperation and integration, and the harnessing of Asian experience for the benefit of African development.

Held in 1998, the second conference (TICAD II) renewed the commitment to Africa's development challenges with poverty reduction and integration of Africa into the global economy as a primary theme culminating in the adoption of the Tokyo Agenda for Action (TAA).The TAA outlined a framework of cooperation in the TICAD process identifying shared goals, objectives and guidelines for actions to be taken by Africa and its partners.

In 2003, the third conference (TICAD III) made an explicit commitment for the TICAD Initiative to support the African Union's New Partnership for Africa's Development, a blueprint for Africa's peace and socio-economic growth and development. TICAD III was held in Tokyo with high-level participation of African leaders, including 23 heads of State, and 10 heads of international organizations. It was heralded as one of the largest international conferences on African development. A political statement TICAD 10th Anniversary Declaration that renewed the commitment of leaders for African development was adopted at the conference.

The Fourth conference (TICAD IV) held in 2008 brought together 51 African countries, 74 international and regional organizations, private sector, civil society organizations and representatives from 34 partner countries, including the G-8 and Asian countries. The TICAD IV adopted “Yokohama Declaration”, confirming the continuing political commitment of Japan and other partners to African development by focusing on three specific priority-areas:

     1.    Boosting Economic Growth;
     2.    Ensuring Human Security and;
     3.    Addressing Environmental Issues and Climate Change.

In order to ensure effective implementation of the Declaration, “Yokohama Action Plan” was introduced as an outline of the measures to be implemented through the TICAD process during the next five years, together with “TICAD Follow-up Mechanism”, which monitors the implementation and assesses the impact of the TICAD process.

The TICAD UNDP/Africa Bureau continues to promote its agenda in collaboration with the AU and NEPAD.

For more information about TICAD Initiative, please visit the following websites:
•    www.ticad.net
•    www.ticadexchange.org