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Japan International Cooperation Agency

Abbreviation	JICA
Formation	August 1, 2003; 21 years ago (August 1, 2003)
Type	Incorporated Administrative Agency
Legal status	Active
Purpose	Official development assistance
Headquarters	1F–6F Ninbancho Building Center, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan
Region served	Worldwide
Official language	Japanese English (secondary)
President	Akihiko Tanaka
Affiliations	Development Assistance Committee Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Budget	¥1.478 billion
Staff	1,845 (March 2015)
Website	jica.go.jp

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (Japanese: 独立行政法人国際協力機構, romanized: dokuritsu gyōseihōjin kokusai kyōryoku kikō), also known as JICA, is a governmental agency that delivers the bulk of Official Development Assistance (ODA) for the government of Japan. It is chartered with assisting economic and social growth in developing countries and promoting international cooperation. According to the OECD, 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. ODA represented 0.39% of gross national income (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 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

Presidents

JICA's current and former presidents:

• 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

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 OECD, official development assistance 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 disasters 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

See also

• Development aid
• Japan Foundation
• Peace Corps
• JICA Research Institute
• SATREPS

References

1. ^ "Japan | Development Co-operation Profiles – Japan | OECD iLibrary".
2. "TANAKA Akihiko becomes JICA's new president | News | News & Features | JICA". www.jica.go.jp. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
3. Former President's Visits & Remarks, JICA

External links

• (in English) JICA official website in English
• (in Japanese) JICA official website in Japanese
• Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs ODA webpage
• (in Japanese) JICA Japan Overseas Migration Museum website

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Related topics Ministry of Foreign Affairs Minister for Foreign Affairs Diplomatic missions of Japan / in Japan Development assistance JICA JOCV Economic relations JETRO JPEPA Pacific Alliance Leaders Meeting

v t e Incorporated Administrative Agencies in Japan
There are 102 institutions as of April 1, 2012. Bold institutions employ national public servants.
Cabinet Office	National Archives of Japan ja:Northern Territories Issue Association ja:National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications	National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) ja:National Statistics Center ja:Public Foundation for Peace and Consolation ja:Management Organization for Postal Savings and Postal Life Insurance
Ministry of Foreign Affairs	Japan International Cooperation Agency Japan Foundation
Ministry of Finance	ja:National Research Institute of Brewing Japan Mint National Printing Bureau Commemorative Organization for the Japan World Exposition '70
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology	ja:National Institute of Special Education National Center for University Entrance Examinations ja:National Institution For Youth Education ja:National Women's Education Center National Museum of Nature and Science National Institute for Materials Science ja:National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention ja:National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology National Institutes for Cultural Heritage ja:National Institute of Radiological Sciences ja:National Center for Teachers' Development Japan Science and Technology Agency Japan Society for the Promotion of Science RIKEN Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency ja:National Agency for the Advancement of Sports and Health Japan Arts Council ja:Japan Student Services Organization Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology ja:Institute of National Colleges of Technology National Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation Japan Atomic Energy Agency
Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare	ja:National Institute of Health and Nutrition ja:National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health ja:Organization for Workers Retirement Allowance Mutual Aid ja:Japan Organization for Employment of the Elderly, Persons with Disabilities and Job Seekers ja:Welfare And Medical Service Agency ja:National Center for Persons with Severe Intellectual Disabilities, Nozominosono Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training ja:Japan Labour Health and Welfare Organization ja:National Hospital Organization ja:Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Agency ja:National Institute of Biomedical Innovation ja:Readjustment of Facilities for Insured Persons and Beneficiaries Organization Government Pension Investment Fund ja:National Cancer Center ja:National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Hospital ja:National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry ja:National Center for Global Health and Medicine ja:National Center for Child Health and Development ja:National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontrogy
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries	ja:Food and Agricultural Materials Inspection Center ja:National Center for Seeds and Seedlings ja:National Livestock Breeding Center ja:National Fisheries University ja:National Agriculture and Food Research Organization ja:National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences ja:National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences ja:Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences ja:Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute ja:Fisheries Research Agency ja:Agriculture & Livestock Industries Corporation ja:Farmer's Pension Fund ja:Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Credit Foundations
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry	ja:Information-Technology Promotion Agency ja:Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry ja:National Center for Industrial Property Information and Training Nippon Export and Investment Insurance National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology National Institute of Technology and Evaluation New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization Japan External Trade Organization ja:Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization ja:Information-technology Promotion Agency Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation ja:Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism	ja:Public Works Research Institute ja:Building Research Institute ja:National Traffic Safety and Environment Laboratory ja:National Maritime Research Institute ja:Port and Airport Research Institute ja:Electronic Navigation Research Institute ja:National Institute for Sea Training ja:Marine Technical Education Agency ja:Civil Aviation College ja:National Agency of Vehicle Inspection: Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency Japan National Tourism Organization ja:Japan Water Agency ja:National Agency for Automotive Safety & Victims' Aid ja:Organization for Environment Improvement around International Airports ja:Maritime Disaster Prevention Center ja:Urban Renaissance Agency ja:Fund for the Promotion and Development of the Amami Islands ja:Japan Expressway Holding and Debt Repayment Agency ja:Japan Housing Finance Agency
Ministry of the Environment	ja:National Institute for Environmental Studies ja:Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency
Ministry of Defense	ja:Labor Management Organization for USFJ Employees
Related topics	ja:Act on General Rules for Independent Administrative Agency List of Independent Administrative Institutes in Japan ja:Japanese administrative reforms ja:Government Revitalization Unit ja:Japanese government program review ja:Japanese extra-governmental organizations

• Japan International Cooperation Agency
• International development agencies
• Foreign relations of Japan
• Independent Administrative Institutions of Japan
• Government agencies established in 2003
• 2003 establishments in Japan