A Report on Japan’s International Cooperation for Bridging the Global Digital Divide What is becoming of the $15 billion equivalent pledged during the G8 Kyushu-Okinawa Summit in July 2000? Shuzo KATSUMOTO Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) Environmental Informatics 2001 Sustainability in the Information Society Workshop: Getting beyond the Digital Divide 12 October 2001, ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Workshop: Getting beyond the Digital Divide, 12 October 2001, ETH Zurich, Switzerland 2 Outline 1. Background of the “Comprehensive Cooperation Package to Address the International Digital Divide”: Why as much as $15 billion? 2. Current response by the Japanese government to the global digital divide: What is becoming of the $15 billion? 3. Future actions: What is Japan expected to do?

Workshop: Getting beyond the Digital Divide, 12 October 2001, ETH Zurich, Switzerland 3 Data Sources Government of Japan –Ms. Yukiko Matsuda (IT Cooperation Division, Economic Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs) Japan International Cooperation Agency(JICA) –Mr. Masahiro Tawa (Deputy Director, Project Monitoring and Coordination Division, Grant Aid Management Department) –Mr. Goro Sugimura (Planning and Coordination Division, Planning and Evaluation Department) Center for Global Communications, International University of Japan (GLOCOM) –Mr. Izumi Aizu (Research Fellow)

Workshop: Getting beyond the Digital Divide, 12 October 2001, ETH Zurich, Switzerland 4 Chronology July 14, 2000 Announcement of the Comprehensive Cooperation Package Oct.- Nov Dispatch of the 1 st Policy Dialogue Mission (The Philippines, Thailand, and Cambodia) Nov ～ Dispatch of project formulation study teams by implementing agencies, i.e., JICA, JBIC (Thailand, Cambodia, The Philippines, Indonesia, etc.) Jan. 9-12, 2001 Prime Minister Mori’s visit to African countries (South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria) Jan Dispatch of the 2 nd Policy Dialogue Mission (Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, and Malaysia) June Dispatch of the 3 rd Policy Dialogue Mission (South Africa and Tunisia)

Workshop: Getting beyond the Digital Divide, 12 October 2001, ETH Zurich, Switzerland 5 Why as much as $15 billion? Official statements: –“future stability of the international community” –“further enhancement of IT in Japan itself” –“Japan’s dynamic [economic] growth” widespread recognition of ICT as a powerful economic booster against recession In addition... –then Prime Minister Mori’s strong initiative

Workshop: Getting beyond the Digital Divide, 12 October 2001, ETH Zurich, Switzerland 6 What is becoming of the $15 billion? Will be used for implementing the “Comprehensive Cooperation Package” –consisting of non-ODA (OOF: Other Official Flows) and ODA public funding –over 5 years (summer summer 2005) –“will be implemented within the existing frameworks by giving priority to IT-related projects” –“no special framework will be set up for IT cooperation”

Workshop: Getting beyond the Digital Divide, 12 October 2001, ETH Zurich, Switzerland 7 Four Focal Fields of the Cooperation Package (1) Intellectual Contribution to Policy and Institution- building (2) Human Resources Development (3) Building IT Infrastructure and Networking (4) Promoting the Utilization of IT in Development Assistance

Workshop: Getting beyond the Digital Divide, 12 October 2001, ETH Zurich, Switzerland 8 (1) Intellectual Contribution to Policy and Institution-building To give policy advice by experts –Dispatch of JICA experts to Indonesia for the formulation of IT policies To formulate plans in specific fields by conducting a development study –Development survey in Ethiopia to formulate telecommunication network build-up plan To raise awareness and share information and knowledge by organizing seminars, etc.

Workshop: Getting beyond the Digital Divide, 12 October 2001, ETH Zurich, Switzerland 9 (2) Human Resources Development To dispatch experts, accept trainees and support training in a third country –JICA Group Training Courses –Telecommunication Training Improvement Program in Vietnam To extend grant aid assistance to establish research/training centers, and to offer equipment and materials to education/training institutes, etc. –Establishment of Global Development Learning Network Center in Jordan –Polish-Japanese Institute of Information Technology

Workshop: Getting beyond the Digital Divide, 12 October 2001, ETH Zurich, Switzerland 10 (3) Building IT Infrastructure and Networking Loan Aid –Liaoning Television and Radio Infrastructure Improvement Project (People’s Republic of China) Grant Aid –The Project for Rehabilitation of the Flood Control Operation and Warning System in Metro Manila (The Philippines) Other Official Flows (OOF) –The loan to an Indonesian enterprise for its business on production and sales of semiconductor products which are used for PCs and cellular phones

Workshop: Getting beyond the Digital Divide, 12 October 2001, ETH Zurich, Switzerland 11 (4) Promoting the Utilization of IT in Development Assistance J-NET Asia-Pacific Region International Humanitarian Assistance Center (e-Center) Project Establishment of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) ReliefWeb Office in Kobe

Workshop: Getting beyond the Digital Divide, 12 October 2001, ETH Zurich, Switzerland 12 Principles for Future Cooperation (1) Respect for the ownership of the developing countries (2) A country-specific approach in proportion to their actual conditions (3) Coordination with other donors including international organizations (4) Promoting south-south cooperation, multifaceted cooperation with regional organizations, the private sector, and NGOs, etc. (5) Studying innovative approaches

Workshop: Getting beyond the Digital Divide, 12 October 2001, ETH Zurich, Switzerland 13 What is Japan expected to do? (1) Maintain the momentum (2) Raising awareness/interest of the public on the global digital divide (3) Recovery of the Japanese economy (4) Provide sufficient amount of information in a timely manner (5) More efficient and effective coordination between ODA and OOF (6) Enhancement of the OOF’s untied loan rate

Thank you very much Shuzo Katsumoto Institute for Global Environmental Strategies