This year marks the 70th anniversary of the start of Japan’s official development assistance (ODA) in 1954. This issue reflects on the characteristics of Japan’s international cooperation, which has pursued “capacity development” and “human security.” It also examines the goals of JICA as an international cooperation agency and the achievements and trust built with developing countries, while looking ahead to the future. It will highlight initiatives in two areas: transportation and health systems, as well as the bonds forged in Ghana and Mongolia, through the voices of the people involved.

As 2024 marks the 30th anniversary of the start of the Japan-CARICOM (Caribbean Community) Consultations, this issue will focus on JICA’s cooperation in the broader Latin American region. Though geographically distant, Japan and the region have deep historical ties. More than 60% the world’s 5 million Japanese emigrants and their descendants (nikkei) are in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). And the “nikkei communities” that have taken root in the region have contributed greatly to links and economic ties between the two sides.

JICA’s cooperation with the transportation sector aims to realize “A World Where People and Goods Can Move Safely and Freely.” This special feature focuses on the “intangible” aspects of infrastructure, aside from the construction of facilities. It involves cooperation in areas such as human resource development that support people’s daily lives and activities to ensure that infrastructure can continue to see use in the long term.

The Eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD8) will be held in August 2022. Held triennially, the timing of this year’s conference is right for the recovery and advancement of economies and societies across Africa, which have been stagnating due to the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This feature will present the current situation in Africa, which is moving away from being a recipient of aid and toward becoming a driving force of rapid development under its own initiative, as well as Japan’s cooperative efforts, with diverse approaches in all fi elds. We hope that the feature will provide an opportunity for fresh perspectives on Africa.

JICA’s aim of supporting the creation of a peaceful and stable world through development has been affected by the changing nature of conflicts. The increased complexity and protractedness of conflicts have led to a shift from simply supporting reconstruction to building states and societies that prevent conflicts occurring or recurring. This issue of the JICA Magazine examines efforts to create such crisis-resilient states and societies, beginning with this article on the background of current global conflicts and JICA’s approach to addressing them.

The SDGs represent global efforts toward designated targets by 2030. However, progress has been slow. This is partly because the world has become more interconnected; thus, the impacts of events ripple more powerfully across the globe. Conversely, when individual actions to achieve the SDGs unite, they can become a great force for making the world a better place. This topic provides an opportunity to learn about the activities of JICA, which has been implementing the concept of “SDGs” since before the term was coined, and at the same time, to reconsider the SDGs.

Everyone across the world is now experiencing the effects of climate change, especially in developing countries, where disasters and other impacts are becoming more severe. In order to meet the enormous needs for both climate change countermeasures and development, it has become essential to go beyond differences in position and bring together the knowledge, technology, and funds from all sides. The private sector has a major part to play in this context; it aims to solve issues through business activities. This feature looks at the current state of climate change and introduces examples of collaboration between the private sector and JICA which utilize the strengths of both parties, particularly in developing countries.