OGATA Sadako

JICA President Ogata with World Bank President Zoellick

JICA President Mrs. Sadako Ogata has held talks in Washington with the leaders of the World Bank and USAID on global development issues including the situations in Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan and closer cooperation with emerging donor nations.

Mrs. Ogata is in the United States this week to attend the annual meeting of the World Bank/International Monetary Fund and took the opportunity to meeting other major development officials.

In her talks with USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah Mrs. Ogata explained JICA’s increasing support for African nations, particularly through the ongoing TICAD process which is supported by Japan, to assist in that continent’s economic and social development.

The USAID Administrator expressed particular interest in the so-called one-stop-border concept which was developed by JICA to help streamline the often cumbersome and costly customs and immigration procedures between neighboring African countries.

He explained the administration’s Global Development Policy recently issued as Presidential Policy Directive, stressing in particular the necessity of economic growth and overall accountability.

Shah also noted the enhanced role of USAID in the new policy directive and the need to strengthen ties with other nations, international organizations and the private sector.

Mrs. Ogata and World Bank President Robert Zoellick discussed the need for ongoing aid to Pakistan, particularly in the wake of the worst flooding in the country’s history recently, and for assistance to Afghanistan while at the same time trying to maintain security.
On Africa, they agreed that their respective experiences in helping promote economic growth in Southeast Asia and China could have lessons for Africa where job creation was a major priority.

They emphasized that going forward it would be important to work closely with China and other emerging donor countries to support African development.

Mrs. Ogata and President Zoellick agreed to cooperate in future research and expand and promote closer cooperation between the two organizations.