strategy
The 5th Medium-term Plan
(Fiscal 2022–2026)
Photo: Shinichi Kuno
Launch of the Medium-term Plan for the Next Five Years
JICA’s 5th Medium-term Plan for the next five years from fiscal 2022 emphasizes four aspects: Free and Open Indo-Pacific, the cultivation of future leaders who can foster a long-lasting bilateral relationship between each country and Japan, climate and environmental actions, and contribution to the socioeconomic revitalization and internationalization of Japan.
Under the JICA Vision “Leading the world with trust”
In accordance with the law, JICA prepares a Medium-term Plan—which is subject to authorization of the competent ministers*—based on the Medium-term Objectives as directed by these ministers every five years. Based on this plan, JICA also draws up an Annual Plan under which it conducts its operations for the year.
*The Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Finance, and the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Focusing on new and emerging issues
The 5th Medium-term Plan identifies Operational Focus Areas and Prioritized Approaches while taking into account how to address new issues that emerged during the 4th Medium-term Plan period.
In the Operational Focus Areas, the Mediumterm Plan calls for JICA to work on three priority issues outlined in the Development Cooperation Charter, which shares the same directions with the SDGs. These three issues are (1) quality growth and poverty eradication through such growth; (2) sharing universal values and realizing a peaceful and secure society; and (3) building a sustainable and resilient international community through efforts to address global challenges. The Plan also calls for JICA to enhance initiatives toward the four areas shown in the figure on page 13.
The Medium-term Plan also sets out plans on a number of other issues, including priority issues for each of the six regions of the world, partnerships with various actors, stronger foundations for implementation, and more optimal and streamlined administrative operations, as well as security measures and internal controls.
Outline of the 5th Medium-term Plan
Major Activities and Achievements under the 4th Medium-term Plan (Fiscal 2017–2021)
Under the 4th Medium-term Plan, JICA worked on a wide range of issues with the vision “Leading the world with trust.” Major achievements are:
●In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, JICA contributed to preventing the spread of infection by moving ahead with JICA’s Initiative for Global Health and Medicine, which is built on three pillars: prevention, precaution, and treatment. JICA also helped to protect people’s health in developing countries in a number of aspects, ranging from the eradication of polio in Africa, the elimination of filariasis in Kiribati, the wider use of the Maternal and Child Health Handbook, and better access to safe water.
●JICA worked on the development of quality infrastructure that helps improve connectivity in developing areas as well as on the cultivation of human resources who share universal values such as freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. In addition, JICA steadily delivered on the commitments Japan had made in such international forums as the Japan-ASEAN Summit, the Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM), and the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) while contributing to the realization of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.
●JICA also played a part in supporting Japanese firms—particularly small and medium enterprises—in expanding their operations abroad through the SDGs Business Supporting Surveys, a program aimed at facilitating the use of private-sector technologies that are effective in addressing challenges facing partner countries. In Private-Sector Investment Finance, JICA expanded activities that contribute to the SDGs, including projects to improve financial access for women and those to promote the use of renewable energies.
●JICA contributed to the cultivation of future leaders who can foster a long-lasting bilateral relationship between each country and Japan by launching the JICA Development Studies Program, which allows people from developing countries to learn about Japan’s experiences in modernization and post-war reconstruction as well as in development cooperation as a donor. JICA also rolled out the JICA Chair, a similar program it offers at selected universities in partner countries.
JICA Annual Report 2022