On 12th October, the Coordination Group of the Arab bilateral and multilateral development aid institutions of which the IDB is a member, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)) held their first partnership dialogue on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Annual Meeting in Tokyo.

During the discussions on future collaboration in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa, the institutions exchanged information on operations in Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Masakazu Ichikawa, Vice-President, JICA, addressed the importance of fostering partnership between the Coordination Group and JICA to promote regional development and stability in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa. Mr. Kunio Okamura, JICA Senior Special Advisor co-chaired the meeting and explained JICA’s recent operations.

Around 20 representatives from the Coordination Group, including Mr. Abdulatif Yousef Al-Hamad (co-chair of the meeting), Director General of the Arab Fund for Economic & Social Development (the secretariat of the group), Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali, President, IDB Group, Mr. Jassim Al-Mannai, Director General, Arab Monetary Fund, and Mr. Fuad Al Bassam, Assistant Director-General/Public Sector Operations Department, OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), overviewed aid collaboration
activities and operations of the Coordination Group.

Regarding Africa, JICA announced that the Tokyo International Conference on African Development Fifth Initiative will be hosted by the Government of Japan, the African Union (AU), the World Bank, and UNDP in June 2013.

The Coordination Group and JICA agreed to continue their dialogue towards fostering partnership for inclusive development at the next meeting of the Coordination Group in Kuwait to be hosted by the Kuwait Arab Fund during March 2013.

The members of the Coordination Group are: Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (Abu Dhabi Fund), Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (Arab Fund), Arab Monetary Fund (AMF),Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED), OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID)and Saudi Fund for Development (Saudi Fund). JICA is an incorporated administrative agency with overseas offices around the world,
headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, implementing Official Development Assistance of the Government of Japan.