[ASEAN-Japan Special 1] 50 Years of Partnership: Interview with Hayakawa Yuho of the Southeast Asia and Pacific Department

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Japan’s friendship and cooperation with the ASEAN. Hayakawa Yuho, director general of JICA’s Southeast Asia and Pacific Department, reflects on how Japan and JICA worked with ASEAN to build trust and promote growth over the past half century and offers his vision for the future of the partnership.

Increasing Employment for Persons with Disabilities—A Project in Sri Lanka Shows Steady Results

Bias and discrimination against persons with disabilities have been deeply rooted in Sri Lanka, but the attitudes toward their employment are gradually changing. One catalyst was the “Project for Promoting Employment Support of Persons with Disabilities in Sri Lanka,” started by JICA in 2021. December 3 is designated as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities by the United Nations; it is an opportunity to consider the significance of JICA’s project as well as the social issues concerning employment of persons with disabilities.

[TICAD at 30] Cooperation to meet the changing needs of the times while respecting Africa’s ownership: Interview with Mr. Yanase Naoki, Director-General of JICA Africa Department

[COP Special 2] Protecting the Earth through Sustainable Forest Management: DRC Forest Conservation Project

COP28, the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, will be held in the United Arab Emirates from November 30 to December 12. On the occasion of this conference, we are publishing a two-part series that focuses on JICA’s cooperation on climate action. This second and final article is about a forest conservation project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a country with the second largest tropical forest area in the world. It is a sustainable forest management initiative that is meant to contribute to climate action and the conservation of biodiversity.

[COP Special 1] Power and Industry: The Kumejima Model’s Potential to Revitalize Islands

COP28, the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, will take place from November 30 to December 12 in the United Arab Emirates. The convention will focus on urgent issues concerning the increasingly severe extreme weather that is occurring on a global scale. On the occasion of this conference, we are publishing a two-part series that focuses on JICA’s cooperation on climate action. This first article is about an Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) demonstration project that is being conducted on the island of Kumejima in Okinawa. It introduces the Kumejima Model, which also promotes the development of industry by combining the uses of deep seawater. JICA is exploring the introduction of this model—which aims to balance sustainable clean energy with industrial development—to other island nations.