【Close】JICA Ogata Research Institute Knowledge Forum: SDGs and Quality Growth - Leaving No One Behind, Building Sustainable and Resilient Societies

The world is facing multiple challenges, such as infectious diseases, poverty, conflict, political instability, natural disasters associated with climate change, and a widening inequality gap. Amidst these challenges, the problem of poverty, which is highlighted in Goal 1 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is the most fundamental development challenge, and realizing economic growth will be indispensable for its solution. On the other hand, this sort of challenge is not irrelevant to countries with constant economic growth, which suggests that merely achieving quantitative growth is not enough. The United Nations’ document which established the SDGs states that “ ... We resolve also to create conditions for sustainable, inclusive and sustained economic growth, shared prosperity and decent work for all, taking into account different levels of national development and capacities.” Similarly, the Development Cooperation Charter, which was revised in 2015, sets out quality growth, as well as poverty eradication through such growth, as a priority issue. The Charter points out that it is not merely quantitative economic growth, but quality growth—which is inclusive, sustainable, and has the resilience to withstand and recover from various shocks—that is necessary.

Taking this situation into account, JICA Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development (JICA Ogata Research Institute) has worked on research pertaining to quality growth, and on this occasion, the book entitled “SDGs, Transformation, and Quality Growth: Insights from International Cooperation” was published as one of the outcomes of the research. This book reveals the idea of quality growth by examining many cases of international cooperation that have been conducted, and provides insights into strategies to achieve quality growth, as well as effective approaches for doing so.

At this Knowledge Forum, JICA Ogata Research Institute Senior Research Advisor Hosono Akio, the author of this book, will hold a lecture focused on topics such as SDGs and quality growth, as well as industrial development, urbanization, transformation and quality growth. In the talk session, three panelists who have been engaged for decades with development cooperation in practice, and who are conducting research on quality growth will discuss how important quality growth is for effectively addressing pressing development issues, and what role international cooperation should play to achieve that goal.

17:00-17:05　Opening remarks
Takahara Akio, Executive Director, JICA Ogata Research Institute

17:05-17:35　Lecture “SDGs, Transformation, and Quality Growth”
Hosono Akio, Senior Research Advisor, JICA Ogata Research Institute

17:35-18:00　Talk Session
Panelists：
Hosono Akio, Senior Research Advisor, JICA Ogata Research Institute
Ohno Izumi, Professor, GRIPS/ Senior Research Advisor, JICA Ogata Research Institute
Hirota Koki, Professor, Saitama University/ Visiting Fellow, JICA Ogata Research Institute

Panelist/Moderator：
Murotani Ryutaro, Senior Director, head, Office for Peacebuilding, Governance and Peacebuilding Department, JICA

18:00-18:15　Q&A, Closing

JICA Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development (Ms. Arai and Ms. Kajino)
E-mail：ditas-rsunit@jica.go.jp　

This event has ended.