Tokyo International Conference on African Development VI


October 28, 2016

The TICAD (Tokyo International Conference on African Development) Ⅵ in August started out as a high-level forum focused on African development in 1993 and has now become a full-scale summit meeting. The conference was held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) from August 27th to 28th, 2016 where more than 11,000 participants gathered. The Summit was a huge success, bringing together 32 Heads of State and Government from Africa, the Prime Minister of Japan, co-organizers, and over 18,000 accredited participants.  It also attracted over 300 top business executives, over 1,700 business representatives from Japan, and more than 2,000 participants from Africa. It was also the first time TICAD was held on the African Soil, thereby enhancing the principles of African ownership and international partnership that underpins the TICAD Process.

The Conference focused on promoting structural economic transformation through economic diversification and industrialization, resilient health systems for better quality of life, and social stability for shared prosperity. In accordance with these aims, Japan emphasized as part of their policy the importance of African development. Prime Minister Abe announced that for a period of three years from 2016 to 2018, the Government of Japan would invest approximately 30 billion USD under public-private partnership in the future of Africa, through high quality human resource development for around 10 million African people, high quality infrastructure, a resilient health system, and a foundation for peace and stability. The Conference ended with the creation and adoption of the Nairobi Declaration. 

With this successful TICAD Conference and the launching of the Elliott School for African Studies as a backdrop, the Embassy of Japan and the Elliott School of George Washington University collaborated on a significant event on October 28. Held at the DACOR Bacon House, the event hosted three panelists: Mr. Norio Maruyama, Director-General for the African Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Ms. Florizelle Liser, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa in the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), and Dr. Amadou Sy, Ph.D., Director of the Africa Growth Initiative at the Brookings Institution. Both Japan and US officials gave presentations about policies and relations with Africa while the academics presented the structural issues African countries face and perspectives for the future. Elliott students had the opportunity to pose questions after the presentation, and they were impressed that TICAD has catalyzed cooperation between the US and Japan, while simultaneously furthering the agenda of African development.