Given that Japan is hosting both the fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development and the Group of Eight summit this year, the international community expects it to show leadership in promoting the sustainable development of African countries, Sadako Ogata, president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, said Tuesday.
The president of JICA, which provides official development assistance through technical assistance, welcomed the government's promise to double ODA to African countries by 2012.
"There are so many ways to spend (ODA), and so I really would like to see this plan implemented," said Ogata, a former U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. ODA is an essential tool for Japan to make a peaceful contribution to the world, she added.