A ministerial meeting of the Initiative for Development in East Asia, held in Tokyo on Aug. 12, acknowledged the significance of maintaining adequate Official Development Assistance as a tool for strengthening regional cooperation and agreed to examine how to make more effective use of ODA. The meeting was attended by foreign and development ministers from the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) plus Japan, China and South Korea.
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi, who chaired the session, told a joint press conference, "We have confirmed Japan's commitment (to continue providing ODA), and we will proceed with our ODA reform by raising transparency and efficiency and making it more focused."
In 2001, Japan was replaced by the United States as the world's largest ODA donor -- a position this nation had held for the previous 10 years. Japan's ODA budget, which was reduced in fiscal 2002, faces a further cut in fiscal 2003. By contrast, the U.S. and the European Union have increased their ODA commitments.