4th Tokyo International Conference on African Development Scheduled for May 2008

The planning process for the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) is well underway. The first conference was held in 1993 and subsequent conferences have been held every five years. The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released a concept paper with the theme — “Towards a Vibrant Africa: Continent of Hope and Opportunity.” The conference will be held from May 28 to 30, 2008, in Yokohama, Japan. A key goal of the conference is to further mobilize the knowledge and resources of the international community to help ensure that growth in Africa is self-sustained, pro-poor, and inclusive. Priorities include trade and investment, infrastructure development, and agriculture. The concept paper also emphasizes the need to support South-South and triangular cooperation, in particular, Asia-Africa and Intra-Africa cooperation.

For more information, see:

• TICAD IV homepage (Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
• TICAD IV Concept Paper (Nov. 2007)
• TICAD UNDP website

World Bank and China to Cooperate in Africa?

A Financial Times story on December 18 reported that the World Bank and China have agreed to undertake joint development projects in Africa. Robert Zoellick met with the Chairman of China’s Export-Import Bank during a recent visit. It remains unclear, however, whether the leaders of the two banks will succeed in moving from vague statements of their desire to cooperate to true cooperation in development lending. Zoellick’s comments were also covered in an article by the Associated Press — China Sees Rising World Bank Influence.