Welcome Speech JICA KIZUNA 10th Anniversary Event
2023.11.24
Good morning. Ladies and gentlemen,
It is my pleasure to announce the 10th anniversary of the Kizuna program. I would like to express my gratitude to the people involved, such as Japanese universities, private companies, and government agencies, for their support on the program. I also would like to express my respect to the trainees of the program for their efforts to obtain degrees in Japan, and to pursue their duties even after returning to their home countries with high ambitions to contribute to mine development in their respective countries.
The Kizuna program was launched in 2014. Since then, we have accepted more than 200 trainees, beyond the original target. When we launched the program, we aimed at developing the economy of their countries through mining development, and ensuring a stable supply of mineral resources to the global market. Looking at the recent global context, the significance of the program is becoming even more important.
In fact, I am one of the founders of the program. The Kizuna program was launched during my previous tenure as JICA President. Today, JICA is promoting many long-term training programs, and the Kizuna Program is the forerunner of these programs. The success of the Kizuna program has paved the way for development of other long-term training programs of JICA.
Since the beginning of the Kizuna Program, JICA has been strengthening its relationships by establishing cooperation agreements with related universities. One of these is an agreement with Akita University, signed in 2013. Akita University is one of the leading universities in Japan in the field of mineral resources. I am sure that many of you are alumni or current students of Akita University. When I signed the partnership agreement in 2013 as JICA president, I addressed the following message in the ceremony there:
(I quote)
In today’s world, issues such as climate change, disaster prevention, and disease control affect both industrialized and developing countries alike; and they are too difficult to solve with existing knowledge alone. We need to tackle these threats by acquiring new knowledge with the help of academic research.
Our partnerships with universities in Japan and abroad enable us to pursue mutual learning and to achieve breakthroughs. I call this process “synnovation.” I coined this term by combining the two words of “synergy” and “innovation” to signify the importance of joint collaboration and discovery. (End of my quote)
It has been 10 years since then, but I still feel the same way today. The increasing complexity of the world has only strengthened my belief in the importance of “synnovation.”
We are now in an era of complex and intertwined threats to human security. The recent years have signified a period of historical turning points, which occur only once every century or so, when a variety of threats arise and challenge the global system.
For example, increasingly powerful natural disasters, such as more severe typhoons, wildfires, and droughts ascribed to climate change are on the rise worldwide. Now, climate change is recognized with a sense of urgency as an increasing threat that directly affects people’s lives.
In addition, in 2020 there was the COVID-19 pandemic. Governments around the world restricted the movement of people, and economic activity stagnated as a result. In response, countries loosened their monetary policies, which led to the current global inflation and expansion of government debt, and the economic conditions of developing countries in particular have suffered.
Then, in February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. This is a challenge that is shaking the international order that has been built up to that point. It also broke up supply chains of many commodities that had been shared around the world, causing food and energy prices to soar and throw the whole world into turmoil.
In order to respond to these complex and intertwined threats, it is not enough for a single country or organization to take action. We need to work in solidarity with various actors and innovate solutions together. “Synnovation” is indeed necessary now.
At this time, in June this year, the Japanese government revised the Development Cooperation Charter, which guides ODA policy. The revised charter emphasizes "co-creation" and "solidarity.” Japan's upcoming ODA will focus on co-creating new value together in solidarity with a variety of actors.
In these times, mineral resources are becoming more and more important. Mineral resources are the foundation of all economic activities, and without a stable and sustainable supply of mineral resources, global economic development cannot be realized. In addition, after the production of mineral resources, there must be a series of global supply chains, including smelting, processing and consumption, otherwise the resources cannot be utilized. JICA will continue to work toward building a fair supply chain and a world in which both resource-producing countries and resource-using countries can equally enjoy the benefits of mineral resources, rather than monopolizing them for the benefit of a particular country.
In this context, it is important for a variety of countries to supply a variety of mineral resources. Supply of mineral resources from a very limited number of countries can destabilize the global economy. Of course,mineral resources do not exist everywhere. Countries with mineral resource potential should be aware that they have an important role not only in utilizing those resources for their own development, but also in providing a stable supply of resources to the world as a whole.
Mining development is useful for the economic development of your country, and at the same time, it makes a significant contribution to the global economy. JICA will continue to support you and keep the bond with you both during your stay in Japan and after your return to your home country.
We look forward to working together to co-create a stable and prosperous world.
Thank you for your attention.
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