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High Commissioner Grandi (right) and President Kitaoka

On July 22, JICA President KITAOKA Shinichi held talks with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi in Tokyo.

Both parties confirmed the importance of further developing the long-standing cooperation between UNHCR and JICA, and exchanged views on the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on refugees and displaced persons, as well as situations in Myanmar, Latin America, and Afghanistan.

In order to support refugees and displaced persons who are socially and economically affected by COVID-19, both confirmed that the partnership between humanitarian and development agencies is more important than ever and agreed to further deepen collaboration between the two organizations. Regarding the current situation in Myanmar, they reaffirmed the importance of the international community to work closely together to provide humanitarian assistance to displaced persons. As for Latin America, both sides confirmed that inequality and governance issues were some of the root causes of persistent instability in the region, and that inclusive development is crucial. Mr. Grandi also noted that some countries of the region have high expectations for the Japanese government to provide humanitarian and development assistance.

Mr. Grandi also voiced his expectations for further strengthening the cooperation between the two organizations in preparation for the Eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD8) to be held in Tunisia next year.

JICA will continue to partner with UNHCR to contribute to improve situations for refugees and displaced persons by enhancing humanitarian and development nexus.