The Foreign Ministry will abolish an existing bureau handling official development assistance and create a new entity to take charge of it, Foreign Minister Taro Aso said Friday.
Aso said at a news conference that the ministry will abolish its Economic Cooperation Bureau and replace it with an international cooperation bureau.
The envisioned bureau will also absorb the ODA functions of the Global Issues Department within the minister's secretariat, he said.
"Bilateral ODA operations and operations through international organizations will be further strengthened and comprehensive ODA planning will become possible in line with diplomatic strategy," the foreign minister said.
He said the ministry is also considering a headquarters for comprehensive international cooperation policy under the foreign minister to enable ODA operations to be consistent with diplomatic strategy.
The moves are part of the government's efforts to reform the implementation of ODA, which the Foreign Ministry sees as an important tool for diplomacy.