SA participates in TICAD Ministerial meeting

‘Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies is in Mozambique where he will participate in the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) Ministerial follow up meeting that gets underway today.

The two-day TICAD VI meeting, which is co-organised by the government of Japan, the United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank and the African Union Commission is taking place at the Joaquim Chissano International Conference Centre in Maputo.

The objective of the meeting is to review progress following the adoption of the Nairobi Declaration together with its Implementation Plan during the TICAD VI Summit, held Kenya last year. The meeting will also review the status of implementation of the Yokohama Action Plan (2013-2017), adopted at the TICAD V Summit held in Japan in 2013, said the Department of Trade and Industry.

The Nairobi Declaration aims to strengthen the African’s continent growth through partnerships with Japan while the Yokohama Action Plan spells out goals to be achieved and specific measures to be implemented through the TICAD process during the 2013-2017 period.

Throughout this Action Plan, greater attention is given to Africa’s own efforts, mainstreaming of women and youth and promotion of human security across all aspects of the development agenda.

TICAD Business Forum

On the side-lines of the meeting, which will conclude on Friday, Minister Davies will address the TICAD Business Forum, referred to as the ‘Dialogue with the Private Sector from Japan and Africa’.

The TICAD Business Forum event, which is aimed at strengthening Japan-Africa economic relations, will facilitate high level engagements and business networking between African business leaders and their Japanese counterparts.

The deliberations of this dialogue will focus on the following themes and sectors: energy, information technology, infrastructure health, mineral resources, finance, transport, construction and machinery, said the department.

The outcomes of the dialogue will be reported to the TICAD VI Follow-up Ministerial meeting.

Minister Davies will also have bilateral meetings with Japanese business people that will provide an update of Japanese business activities and investments in South Africa.

Japan exported vehicles worth US$ 4,502 million to Africa, accounting for 3.16% of Japan’s global vehicle exports in 2014 with South Africa being the main destination followed by Kenya and Egypt.

South Africa has consistently been the number one trading partner for Japanese imports from Africa, followed by Nigeria, Algeria, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea in recent years.

TICAD was launched in 1993 by the Japanese government to promote Africa’s development, peace and security, through the strengthening of relations in multilateral cooperation and partnership.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Recent Posts