Special Session on Human Security and Fiscal Democracy at the 82nd Annual Conference of the Japan Institute of Public Finance

Books published as an outcome of these efforts can be accessed from the below links.

Mori Hiroyuki, Professor, Ritsumeikan University, was the second speaker. His presentation covered social isolation, an issue becoming increasingly serious in Japan. Mori argued that communities are networks of human relationships and need to be rebuilt. Citing a study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), he showed that the level of social isolation in Japan is extremely high. He also pointed out that conventional public finance systems have been designed with the individual as the fundamental unit. Mori summarized how these systems are gradually shifting the focus of their roles to local communities in recent years as seen in the support for persons in need, the Long-term Care Insurance scheme and the development of comprehensive support systems. He shared some examples of such efforts by municipalities and praised them for not neglecting governmental responsibilities but rather reorganizing systems so that members of local communities can support one another.

The final speaker, Kakegai Yuta, Associate Professor, Ibaraki University, proposed a new approach for fiscal democracy rooted in citizen participation, direct democracy and social movements. He shared a case from Switzerland in which regressive taxes were abolished following action taken by local residents, emphasizing that not only strong individuals but also human networks supporting those who raise objections are important political resources. In addition, Kakegai suggested that with a mechanism to breakdown large issues as seen in the discussion around the pension system reform, topics that tend to be overlooked when discussing overarching topics like the SDGs can be made visible, thereby facilitating democracy. He also pointed out that some aspects of human security indicators align with community development policies, while others clash—particularly when excessive measurement and bureaucracy create tensions.

The discussion started with the chair, Tadatomo Keishi, Professor, Ryukoku University, explaining the objectives of this session. Tadatomo pointed out that human security is a perspective that promotes public policy innovation, and through the “capability approach,” criteria for policy evaluation may be reformed. Conscious of the fiscal-democracy crisis, diversification of public services and the significance of community development policy, he then went on to ask some specific questions to the three speakers. Ide Eisaku, Professor, Keio University, praised the three presentations, noting that the topics covered would lead to redefining values like human dignity, cooperativity and democracy. He also presented some discussion points around the significance of indicator development, the relationship between subjective and objective indicators, the conceptual clarification of common goods, and measurement-related issues. In their responses, Kakegai stressed the need of creativity in relevant schemes through education and information communication while Mine noted that communication based on accurate figures could be a powerful tool in achieving dignity for all. Mori noted the importance of the ability to maintain self-esteem through networks with others and emphasized the importance of policies that provide fundamental solutions for the issue of social isolation.

For further details of the efforts of the JICA Ogata Research Institute around human security, please visit the below link.