Japan broadens eligibility criteria for development assistance to recipient countries

Japan has revised its Development Cooperation Charter for the first time in eight years since 2015, making Japanese assistance for recipient countries linked with steps taken for human security, co-creation of social values through dialogue and cooperation with developing countries, implementation of international  rules, debt sustainability and so on, according to a dossier shared by the Japanese embassy in Colombo.

“Loans by emerging donors that disregard debt sustainability are not contributing to the growth of developing countries. There is a growing flow of private funds and diverse actors.  Under such a background, Japan reviews the Charter to present a new direction for development cooperation in order to make a further effective and strategic use of developing cooperation as one of the most important tools of its diplomacy.  

Based on this Charter, Japan will continue to implement development cooperation in a more effective and strategic manner in order to actively contribute to ensuring peace and prosperity of the international community and Japan,” the embassy said. 

It also said global challenges such as climate change and infectious diseases are becoming more serious, and many developing countries are experiencing slowing economic growth and economic disparities within and among countries. 

“At the same time, amid changes in the balance of power and intensifying geopolitical competition, the free and open international order and multilateralism are being seriously challenged, including by actions that unilaterally change the status quo by use of force, and the risk of fragmentation of the international community is becoming more serious. This is a further blow to many developing countries, creating compound crises that are also coupled with energy and food crises, inflation, debt crises, and humanitarian crises,” it noted.