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Exhibit 1
Japan International Cooperation Agency
This description of Japan International Cooperation Agency is dated September 28, 2020 and appears as Exhibit 1 to its Annual Report on Form 18-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
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THE DELIVERY OF THIS DOCUMENT AT ANY TIME DOES NOT IMPLY THAT THE INFORMATION IS CORRECT AS OF ANY TIME SUBSEQUENT TO ITS DATE. THIS DOCUMENT (OTHERWISE THAN AS PART OF A PROSPECTUS CONTAINED IN A REGISTRATION STATEMENT FILED UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT OF 1933) DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY ANY SECURITIES OF JAPAN INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AGENCY.
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This document appears as an exhibit to the Annual Report of Japan International Cooperation Agency (“JICA”) filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on Form 18-K. Additional information with respect to JICA is available in such Annual Report, in the other exhibits to such Annual Report and in amendments thereto. Such Annual Report, exhibits and other amendments may be inspected and copied at the public reference room maintained by the Commission at: 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Information regarding the operations of the public reference room can be obtained by calling the Commission at 1-800-SEC-0330. You may also request a copy of such Annual Report, exhibits and amendments thereto and other information mentioned above by writing or calling JICA. Written requests for such documents should be directed to Japan International Cooperation Agency, Nibancho Center Building 5-25, Niban-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8012, Japan, Attention: Capital Markets Division, Treasury, Finance and Accounting Department, JICA, Japan. JICA’s telephone number is 81-3-5226-9279. Such Annual Report, exhibits and other amendments are also available through the Commission’s Internet website at http://www.sec.gov.
In this document, all amounts are expressed in Japanese Yen (“¥” or “yen”), except as otherwise specified. The spot buying rate quoted on the Tokyo Foreign Exchange Market on September 18, 2020 as reported by the Bank of Japan at 5:00 p.m., Tokyo time, was 104.57 = $1.00, and the noon buying rate on September 18, 2020 for cable transfers in New York City payable in yen, as reported by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, was 104.44 = $1.00.
References in this document to Japanese fiscal years (“JFYs”) are to 12-month periods commencing in each case on April 1 of the year indicated and ending on March 31 of the following year. References to years not specified as being JFYs are to calendar years.
References in this document to “JICA” are to “Japan International Cooperation Agency”.
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PRESENTATION OF FINANCIAL INFORMATION
The fiscal year end of JICA is March 31. JICA’s financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles for incorporated administrative agencies generally accepted in Japan, which may differ in certain respects from accounting principles for business enterprises generally accepted in Japan.
JICA’s operations are separated into two categories for accounting purposes pursuant to Article 17 of the Act of the Incorporated Administrative Agency—Japan International Cooperation Agency (the “JICA Act”): (a) a General Account, which is largely funded by management grants from the Japanese government, and (b) a Finance and Investment Account, which is funded through capital contributions and borrowings from the Japanese government, bonds issued to investors and interest and revenues generated by JICA from loans disbursed.
The following financial statements are contained in the Annual Report on Form 18-K filed with the Commission of which this document is a part: (i) the annual audited balance sheet as of March 31, 2020, the related audited statements of income, cash flows and administrative service operations costs for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, and the significant accounting policies, notes and detailed statements relating thereto, all in respect of the General Account of JICA and (ii) the annual audited balance sheet as of March 31, 2020, the related audited statements of income, cash flows and administrative service operations costs for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, and the significant accounting policies, notes and detailed statements relating thereto, all in respect of the Finance and Investment Account of JICA.
JICA’s general policy is to consider engaging a new auditor every five years, and JICA has engaged Ernst & Young ShinNihon LLC to audit its financial statements since the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018. Ernst & Young was selected after a competitive bidding process involving multiple auditor candidates, including our immediately prior auditor.
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JAPAN INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AGENCY
JICA is an incorporated administrative agency established in October 2003 pursuant to the Act on General Rules for Incorporated Administrative Agencies and the JICA Act. JICA’s main objective is to contribute to the promotion of international cooperation as well as the sound development of the Japanese and global economy by supporting the socioeconomic development, recovery or economic stability of developing regions. Following an overhaul in October 2008 (see “—History”), JICA is currently the sole implementing agency for all major Japanese Official Development Assistance (“ODA”) schemes, which are separated into three categories—Technical Cooperation, Grant Aid and Finance and Investment (see “—Operations”).
JICA is entirely owned by the Japanese government and is subject to control and supervision by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan and the Minister of Finance of Japan. As of March 31, 2020, government investment by Japan contributed to ¥8,151 billion of net assets on the balance sheet of JICA’s Finance and Investment Account and the capital ratio, calculated as total net assets divided by total assets, was 77.31%.
JICA’s origins can be traced back to January 1954, with the establishment of the Federation of Japan Overseas Associations. In subsequent years, the Society for Economic Cooperation in Asia, Japan Emigration Promotion, Co., Ltd., Overseas Technical Cooperation Agency, Japan Emigration Service and Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers were established, each with the objective of fostering international cooperation. JICA was originally established in May 1974 as a special public institution (“Former JICA”) with the promulgation of the Act of Japan International Cooperation Agency. In December 2001, a reorganization and rationalization plan for special public institutions was announced by the Japanese government. Included in this reform plan was a measure transforming JICA into an incorporated administrative agency. This was put into effect by the JICA Act, and Former JICA was re-established as an incorporated administrative agency in October 2003.
Separately, in December 1960, the Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund Law was promulgated, pursuant to which the Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund was established to take over management of the Southeast Asia Development Cooperation Fund from the Export-Import Bank of Japan (“JEXIM”). In April 1999, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation Law was promulgated, and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (“JBIC”) was established, which succeeded the operations of the Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund and JEXIM.
JICA, in its current form, was established in October 2008 following the enactment in November 2006 of the Act for Partial Amendments to the Act of the Incorporated Administrative Agency—Japan International Cooperation Agency. Pursuant to such Act, the operations of Former JICA, Finance and Investment previously managed by JBIC and a portion of Grant Aid provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (“MOFA”) were succeeded by JICA. MOFA remains responsible for directly providing Grant Aid in conjunction with the execution of diplomatic policies.
Mid-Term Objectives and Plan
In accordance with Article 30, Paragraph 1 of the Act on General Rules for Incorporated Administrative Agencies, JICA has established a mid-term plan for achieving its mid-term objectives during a period commencing from the fiscal year ending March 31, 2018. JICA’s mid-term objectives include, among others:
| • | addressing key development issues, such as achieving high-quality growth and the elimination of poverty, sharing of universal values and establishing a peaceful and safe society, and creating a sustainable and resilient community through addressing global issues; and |
| • | strengthening cooperation with the private sector and other organizations such as local governments, non-governmental organizations, universities and research institutes. |
Vision and Mission
JICA announced its new vision (“Leading the world with trust”) and mission (“JICA, in accordance with the Development Cooperation Charter, will work on human security and quality growth”) in July 2017, in light of the changing international relations. JICA will seek to achieve its vision and mission by committing itself to achieving them with pride and passion, immersing itself in the relevant site (gemba) and working together with people on-site, planning and acting strategically with broad and long-term perspective, bringing together diverse wisdom and resources, and thinking innovatively to bring about unprecedented impact. JICA, with its partners, will seek to take the lead in forging bonds of trust across the world, aspiring for a free, peaceful and prosperous world where people can hope for a better future and explore their diverse potential.
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Response to COVID-19
The spread of a respiratory disease, referred to as COVID-19, caused by a new strain of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), has had an adverse impact on the global economy, the severity and duration of which is difficult to predict.
JICA, with its mission of “working on human security”, has been long contributing to efforts for medical treatments and prevention to infection diseases. For example, in the early twentieth century, Dr. NOGUCHI Hideyo, a Japanese scientist, worked hard to find the major causes of disease transmission. In his name, Ghana established the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research with Japan’s cooperation. This institute is now not only conducting 80% of Ghana’s PCR testing to diagnose COVID-19, but also training laboratory technicians in West Africa.
Prevention is far more important than treatment. JICA Volunteer has been promoting community awareness of hygiene and sanitation practices all over the world. Additionally, JICA has worked to introduce the “Maternal and Child Health Handbook” in around 50 countries. This home-based health record that originated in Japan seeks to protect the health of mothers and children.
Responding to the urgent needs of developing countries, caused by COVID-19, JICA fully utilizes our human resources and organizational networks, which we have developed over the years. Our cooperation includes support for local production of safe PPE (personal protective equipment) for health workers, provision of water treatment chemicals, capacity enhancement for testing and diagnosis, etc. In addition, Graduates of JICA’s training program are addressing the COVID-19 pandemic in their respective countries.
JICA has also extended COVID-19 Crisis Response Emergency Support Loan to countries such as Bangladesh, Indonesia and the Philippines pursuant to which it aims to mitigate the negative social and economic impact of COVID-19 by providing budgetary support.
Funding
Funding Track Record
On June 20, 2019, JICA issued two tranches of non-government guaranteed bonds in domestic markets: ¥10 billion of 0.059% bonds due June 20, 2029 and ¥10 billion of 0.333% bonds due June 20, 2039. On September 20, 2019, JICA issued ¥12 billion of 0.055% non-government-guaranteed bonds in domestic markets due September 20, 2029. On December 20, 2019, JICA issued ¥18 billion of 0.538% non-government-guaranteed bonds in domestic markets due December 20, 2049. On March 19, 2020, JICA issued ¥10 billion of 0.055% non-government-guaranteed bonds in domestic markets due March 19, 2030. On June 26, 2020, JICA issued two tranches of non-government guaranteed bonds in domestic markets: ¥10 billion of 0.160% bonds due June 26, 2030 and ¥13 billion of 0.445% bonds due June 26, 2040. The bonds issued on June 20, 2019, September 20, 2019, December 20, 2019, March 19, 2020 and June 26, 2020 have been listed on the TOKYO PRO-BOND Market. On July 22, 2020, JICA issued $500 million of 1.000% government-guaranteed bonds. The bonds are due July 22, 2030. The bonds have been admitted to the official list of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited. On September 28, 2020, JICA issued two tranches of non-government guaranteed bonds in domestic markets: ¥10 billion of 0.150% bonds due September 20, 2030, and ¥12 billion of 0.459% bonds due September 20, 2040 which has been listed on the TOKYO PRO-BOND Market.
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Since its launch as a renewed organization in October 2008, JICA has become the sole implementing agency for all major Japanese ODA schemes: Technical Cooperation, Grant Aid and Finance and Investment.
Background to ODA in Japan
Various organizations and groups, including governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations (“NGOs”) and private companies, carry out economic cooperation to support socioeconomic development in developing countries. The financial and technical assistance that governments provide to developing countries as part of this economic cooperation are called ODA.
ODA is broadly classified into two types: bilateral aid and multilateral aid. Multilateral aid consists of financing and financial contributions to international organizations, while bilateral aid is provided in three forms: Technical Cooperation, Grant Aid and Finance and Investment. In addition, other schemes of bilateral aid include the dispatch of volunteers.
In recent years, developed countries in Europe and North America have expanded ODA as a means of strengthening the efforts to address global issues such as climate change and poverty reduction. Furthermore, new donor countries including the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Korea have emerged. Japan, conversely, has decreased its ODA budget as a result of its severe financial circumstances.
In view of this international situation as well as the flow of domestic administrative reforms, the Japanese government has undertaken reforms that strategize ODA policies and strengthen implementation systems with the objective of further raising the quality of its ODA. With the aim of integrating ODA implementation organizations as part of these reforms, Overseas Economic Cooperation Operations of JBIC and Grant Aid Operations of MOFA (excluding those which MOFA continues to directly implement for the necessity of diplomatic policy) were transferred to JICA as of October 1, 2008, thereby creating a “New JICA”. See “—History”. Through this integration, the three schemes of assistance have become organically linked under a single organization, which better enables JICA to provide effective and efficient assistance.
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JICA’s ODA
The principal schemes of ODA carried on by JICA are outlined below. JICA’s operations are separated into two categories for accounting purposes pursuant to Article 17 of the JICA Act: (a) a General Account, which is largely funded by management grants from the Japanese government, and (b) a Finance and Investment Account, which is funded through capital contributions and borrowings from the Japanese government, bonds issued to investors and interest and revenues generated by JICA. JICA’s Technical Cooperation and Grant Aid activities are carried on through its General Account. JICA’s Finance and Investment activities are carried on through its Finance and Investment Account.
Technical Cooperation
Technical Cooperation draws on Japan’s technology, knowhow and experience to nurture the human resources who will promote socioeconomic development in developing countries. Moreover, through collaboration with partner countries in jointly planning a cooperation plan suited to local situations, Technical Cooperation supports the development and improvement of technologies that are appropriate for the actual circumstances of these countries, while also contributing to raising their overall technology levels and setting up new institutional frameworks and organizations. These enable partner countries to develop problem-solving capacities and achieve economic growth.
Total Technical Cooperation expenditures (excluding management expenses and including expenses of technical assistance related to ODA Loans under Finance and Investment budget) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020 were ¥175.1 billion.
The following table provides breakdowns of JICA’s Technical Cooperation operations in terms of expenditures (excluding management expenses) by geographical region and sector for JFY 2019:
Technical Cooperation
| For the year ended March 31, 2020 | ||||
| (%) | ||||
Distribution by Region | ||||
Asia | 35.7 | |||
Africa | 18.9 | |||
North and Latin America | 7.8 | |||
Middle East | 3.9 | |||
Pacific | 2.5 | |||
Europe | 0.9 | |||
Others | 30.2 | |||
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Total | 100.0 | |||
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Distribution by Sector | ||||
Public Works and Utilities | 22.6 | |||
Human Resources | 11.2 | |||
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries | 10.6 | |||
Planning and Administration | 8.1 | |||
Health and Medical Care | 5.9 | |||
Energy | 3.0 | |||
Business and Tourism | 3.0 | |||
Mining and Industry | 1.4 | |||
Social Welfare | 1.3 | |||
Others | 32.9 | |||
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Total | 100.0 | |||
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Technical Cooperation includes acceptance of training participants, dispatch of experts, provision of equipment and implementation of studies aimed at supporting policymaking and planning of public works projects.
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Grant Aid
Grant Aid, which is an assistance method that provides necessary funds to promote socioeconomic development, is financial cooperation with developing countries with no obligation for repayment. Particularly in developing countries with low income levels, Grant Aid is broadly implemented for building hospitals, bridges and other socioeconomic infrastructure, as well as for promoting education, HIV/AIDS programs, children’s healthcare and environmental activities, which directly support the improvement of living standards.
Assistance is given to development projects that are essential in developing countries’ nation building, including: construction of hospitals or schools and increasing access to safe water supply to satisfy basic human needs; improvement of irrigation systems to promote development of communities and agricultural productivity; construction of roads and bridges to build socio-economic foundations; building facilities to promote environmental conservation; and developing human resources. In recent years, assistance has also been provided for peacebuilding, developing business environments, disaster prevention and reconstruction after disasters, and measures to cope with climate change. Where necessary, technical guidance for operation and maintenance (soft components) is also provided, so that the facilities and other systems financed by Grant Aid are sustainably managed.
New agreements under JICA’s Grant Aid operations for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020 totaled ¥85.6 billion.
The following table provides breakdowns of JICA’s Grant Aid operations in terms of total agreement amount by geographical region and sector for JFY 2019:
Grant Aid
| For the year ended March 31, 2020 | ||||
| (%) | ||||
Distribution by Region | ||||
Asia | 49.8 | |||
Africa | 37.0 | |||
North and Latin America | 6.6 | |||
Middle East | 4.8 | |||
Pacific | 1.8 | |||
Europe | 0.1 | |||
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Total | 100.0 | |||
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Distribution by Sector | ||||
Public Works and Utilities | 51.0 | |||
Health and Medical Care | 17.5 | |||
Human Resources | 14.9 | |||
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries | 6.7 | |||
Energy | 5.1 | |||
Planning and Administration | 2.4 | |||
Business and Tourism | 0.8 | |||
Others | 1.5 | |||
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Total | 100.0 | |||
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Finance and Investment
Finance and Investment supports the efforts of developing countries to advance by providing these nations with the capital necessary for development under long-term and substantially lower interest rates than commercial rates. The primary types of Finance and Investment are ODA Loans and Private Sector Investment Finance (“PSIF”):
| • | ODA Loans promote efficient use of the borrowed funds and appropriate supervision of the relevant projects, bolstering the developing countries’ ownership in the development process. ODA Loans are divided into Project-type Loans (including Project Loans, which account for the largest portion of ODA Loans, and finance projects such as roads, power plants, irrigation, water supply and sewerage facilities) and Non-Project Loans (including Program Loans, which support the implementation of national strategies and poverty reduction strategies and Commodity Loans, which provide settlement funds for urgent and essential imports of materials). In addition, JICA developed sovereign-based lending denominated in U.S. dollars to developing countries beginning in JFY 2016. As of March 31, 2020, the total amount of ODA Loans outstanding was ¥12,881 billion as measured by aggregate loans receivable from all borrowing countries and organizations. |
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| • | Private Sector Investment Finance aims to stimulate economic activity and improve the living standards of people in developing countries through equity investments and loans for projects undertaken in developing countries by the private sector. As of March 31, 2020, the total amount of Private Sector Investment Finance outstanding was ¥132 billion as measured by aggregate loans receivable from all borrowing countries and organizations. |
ODA Loans in particular enable the provision of finance in larger amounts compared with Technical Cooperation or Grant Aid. Thus, this form of aid has been well utilized for building large-scale basic infrastructure in developing countries.
JICA applies preferential terms for certain sectors and fields, namely: global environmental problems and climate change, health and medical care and services, disaster prevention and reduction, and human resource development.
Unlike Technical Cooperation or Grant Aid, Finance and Investment requires full repayment by the recipient country, which encourages the beneficiary country to focus closely on the importance and priority of projects and to make efforts to allocate and utilize the funds as efficiently as possible. In addition, as an ODA Loan is financial assistance with a repayment obligation, this method of assistance places a relatively small fiscal burden on the Japanese government and represents a sustainable instrument for ODA.
New Finance and Investment commitments for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020 totaled ¥1,523 billion.
The following table provides breakdowns of JICA’s Finance and Investment operations in terms of commitment amount by geographical region and sector for JFY 2019:
Finance and Investment
(ODA Loans and PSIF)
| For the year ended March 31, 2020 | ||||
| (%) | ||||
Distribution by Region | ||||
Asia | 81.6 | |||
Africa | 7.9 | |||
Middle East | 7.2 | |||
North and Latin America | 2.5 | |||
Pacific | 0.3 | |||
Others | 0.4 | |||
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Total | 100.0 | |||
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Distribution by Sector | ||||
Transportation | 36.0 | |||
Electric Power and Gas | 32.3 | |||
Social Services | 22.5 | |||
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries | 4.1 | |||
Program Loans | 2.4 | |||
Others | 2.7 | |||
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Total | 100.0 | |||
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Scale of Japan’s and JICA’s ODA Programs in Recent Years
In the year ended December 31, 2019, Japan’s total ODA disbursements amounted to U.S.$18,838.82 million (¥2,054.30 billion) (provisional amount). Of this total, Grant Aid accounted for U.S.$2,551.61 million (¥278.24 billion), Technical Cooperation U.S.$2,717.10 million (¥296.29 billion), Finance and Investment U.S.$9,398.92 million (¥1,024.91 billion) and Contributions and Subscriptions to International Organizations U.S.$4,171.19 million (¥454.85 billion, net disbursement basis).
With respect to JICA’s operations in the year ended March 31, 2020, Technical Cooperation implemented by JICA amounted to ¥175.1 billion, a decrease of 7.9 % from the previous fiscal year. With respect to Grant Aid, which JICA began implementing from October 2008, JICA implemented 147 projects amounting to ¥85.6 billion (grant agreement amount). Within Finance and Investment, ODA Loans were provided through 40 projects amounting to ¥1,459.4 billion (commitment basis), while the Private-Sector Investment Finance amount totaled ¥63.7 billion (commitment basis) for 11 projects.
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The table below sets forth trends in the scale of JICA’s programs for Technical Cooperation, Finance and Investment Commitments and Grant Aid for the past ten years:
| For the year ended March 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (in billions of yen) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Technical Cooperation Disbursements for the Past Ten Years | ¥ | 168.8 | ¥ | 188.9 | ¥ | 167.8 | ¥ | 177.3 | ¥ | 176.4 | ¥ | 191.7 | ¥ | 207.7 | ¥ | 192.3 | ¥ | 190.1 | ¥ | 175.1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Finance and Investment Commitment Amounts for the Past Ten Years | 538.9 | 949.4 | 1,226.7 | 985.8 | 1,015.9 | 2,260.9 | 1,485.8 | 1,888.4 | 1,266.1 | 1,523.2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Grant Aid for the Past Ten Years | 118.1 | 111.0 | 141.6 | 115.8 | 111.2 | 111.7 | 98.0 | 115.1 | 98.5 | 85.6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
JICA’s Path for Development Activities
JICA will develop and implement specific programs and projects based upon the Development Cooperation Charter, which was endorsed by the Japanese government in February 2015. Specifically, JICA will focus upon: (i) quality growth and mitigating disparities; (ii) promoting peacebuilding and the sharing of universal values; (iii) strengthening its operational engagement on global issues and the international aid agenda; (iv) expanding and deepening strategic partnerships; and (v) supporting an active role for women and their empowerment in developing countries.
JICA’s Development Cooperation Achievements
In carrying out development activities in line with the Development Cooperation Charter, JICA draws on its track record of accomplishments achieved through the provision of ODA Loans. During the ten-year period from JFY 2008 to JFY 2017, JICA provided ODA Loans for construction and other infrastructure projects that have contributed to the following achievements, as determined in ex-post evaluations of the relevant projects:
| • | Safe drinking water. Provided access to safe drinking water to approximately 71.28 million people in developing countries; |
| • | Flood control systems. Protected approximately 4.50 million people in developing countries from natural disaster risk; |
| • | Airport facilities. Met the air transportation needs of approximately 105.23 million people in developing countries on an annual basis; |
| • | Railroad facilities. Met the rail transportation needs of approximately 2.44 billion people in developing countries on an annual basis; |
| • | Roads. Built approximately 6,456 km of new roads and repaired approximately 26,344 km of existing roads in developing countries, contributing to traffic volumes of approximately 2.41 million vehicles per day; |
| • | Ports. Constructed port facilities in developing countries with capacity to handle approximately 421.94 million tons of freight per year; |
| • | Power plants. Met power generation needs in developing countries through the supply of 68,810 GWh of electricity per year (equivalent to the electricity consumption needs of approximately 25.17 million people based on worldwide averages in 2015); and |
| • | Forestation. Supported forestation efforts in developing countries on the scale of approximately 2.42 million ha (or 11.03 times the land area of Tokyo Metropolis). |
Sustainable Development Goals
JICA has been working for realizing “human security” and “quality growth” in order to contribute to peace, stability, and prosperity of the international community. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted at the UN summit in 2015, accelerate and promote this Japan’s cooperation philosophy so that JICA will proactively contribute to achieving the SDGs through its leadership.
JICA will play a key role in achieving ten goals of the 17 SDGs making use of Japan’s own experience in socio-economic development of Japan and in development cooperation for the international community. Specifically, the ten goals are: zero hunger, health, education, water/sanitation, energy, economic growth, industry/infrastructure, sustainable cities, climate actions and forests/biodiversity.
JICA will ensure the impact of cooperation on the SDGs by utilizing Japan’s own knowledge, introducing innovations and collaborating with local and international partners in order to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs.
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Key Regional Initiatives
Southeast Asia and Oceania
While Southeast Asian countries have achieved high economic growth, disparities still persist within, and between, each country in the region. Given the region’s situation, JICA will address vast infrastructure needs, improve people’s connectivity through both hard and soft infrastructure, develop human resources to improve productivity and facilitate technological innovation, and work to support the formation of a peaceful and safe society. In addition, JICA will support development initiatives that are prevalent in the region, like disaster risk reduction, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and infectious disease control. Throughout its cooperation efforts, JICA will take into account its contributions to follow Japanese Government policies, its commitments made at Japan-ASEAN summit meetings, as well as its partnerships with regional international organizations.
In Oceania, JICA will extend its assistance in addressing region-specific development issues in accordance with the Japanese Government’s commitment at the Pacific Alliance Leaders Meeting (PALM). Priority areas will include addressing country vulnerabilities formed by natural disasters and impacts of climate change, as well as environmental issues that include waste treatment and water shortage concerns that have resulted from modernization and increasingly complex ocean issues.
South Asia
South Asia has the potential to become the center of the world’s economic growth, due to its young population and its vast consumer demands. However, the region also has the second largest impoverished population, next to Sub-Saharan Africa, and suffers from severe economic disparities, in addition to being highly vulnerable to natural disasters. Given the region’s situation, JICA will help develop foundations for the region’s economic growth, including the formation of a infrastructure, trade and investment environment; initiatives to secure the region’s peace, stability, and safety; practices to improve access to basic human needs; and methods to counter global issues like climate change and disaster risks. Throughout its cooperation efforts, JICA will take into account the needs of the region’s land-locked countries and look into ways to improve both hard and soft connectivity within the region and with other regions.
East Asia, Central Asia and the Caucasus
Since East Asia, Central Asia and the Caucasus have very strong geopolitical importance and a history of transitioning from a socialist to a market economy, it is important for JICA to help secure the region’s long-term stability and sustainable development efforts. Given the region’s situation, JICA will support initiatives to strengthen governance, industry diversification, as well as develop and strengthen infrastructure and human resource capacities. Throughout its cooperation efforts, JICA will take into account ways to improve intra- and inter-regional connectivity and resolve disparities.
Latin America and the Caribbean
While many of the countries in the region enjoy a certain extent of economic development, many of them also suffer from issues like poverty, economic and social disparities, and vulnerability to natural disasters. Given the region’s situation, JICA will support infrastructure development efforts, and initiatives like disaster risk reduction and tackling climate change, in collaboration with multinational development banks, to address global issues.
Also, JICA will continue to provide necessary support for Japanese emigrants and their decedents (Nikkei) in the region, in order to further strengthen ties between Japan and the region. Furthermore, JICA will strengthen its partnership and cooperation initiatives with Nikkei communities by providing support for Nikkei communities.
Africa
Africa is expected to form a large economy in the near future because of its rapid population growth. Therefore, continuous cooperation for Africa’s industrial development is important. However challenges persist, like the decline in commodity prices, the spread of infectious diseases, and the expansion of violent extremism. These challenges require cooperative solutions at the same time. Given the region’s situation, JICA, in collaboration with the private sector, will support regional infrastructure development like transport, water and sanitation, and access to energy, including renewable energy; as well as industrial development; business and investment climate development, including human resource development; and improving basic human needs. Throughout its cooperation efforts, JICA will also emphasize the three pillars of economy, society, and peace and stability, which have been declared as “Japan’s contributions for Africa”, pursuant to the 2019 Yokohama Declaration adopted at the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7). Furthermore, JICA will not only promote country-specific, but also region-wide, initiatives focusing on improving regional economic communities.
Middle East and Europe
Many countries in the region still suffer from the aftermath of Arab Spring, in addition to Syrian refugees now becoming a global issue. Under such circumstances, in addition to emergency humanitarian assistance by the international community, it is necessary to extend support to communities hosting refugees and address structural problems in the mid to long-term that triggered the crisis to begin with, like poverty and unemployment. Also in Europe, the consolidation of peace and economic development are of the utmost necessity to ensure stability in the region. Given the region’s situation, JICA will provide assistance targeting efforts to reduce social and regional disparities, develop human resources and infrastructure, improve the region’s investment environment and maintain and conserve the region’s urban areas and natural habitats. Throughout its cooperation efforts, JICA will take into account its contributions to the Japanese Government’s initiative called “Inclusive assistance towards the stability of the Middle East region”.
Particularly, in dealing with Syria and other refugee issues, JICA will collaborate with neighboring countries and international organizations, and it will carefully take into consideration the balance of benefits between the citizens of host countries and the refugees.
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Issue-specific initiatives
Promote “Free and Open Indo-Pacific”
To realize “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” advocated by the Japanese government, JICA will provide the Indo-Pacific region with both tangible and intangible support. JICA’s support will include expanding and establishing freedom of navigation and the rule of law, improving regional connectivity by developing quality infrastructure that aligns with international standards, and providing development cooperation to support capacity building for maritime security.
Strengthen the capacity of leaders in developing countries
As a main pillar of its projects, JICA will advance the JICA Development Studies Program (JICA-DSP), launched in 2018, a program that maintains and strengthens trusted relationships between Japan and developing countries over the medium and long term. Special focus will be placed on strengthening collaboration with partner universities to provide more opportunities for international students (JICA scholars) to systematically learn about Japan’s experience of development and the importance of the rule of law. JICA will also remain committed to maintaining and developing relationships with the participants after they return to their home countries so that they can play an active role in their countries as leaders.
Establish a platform by enhancing domestic collaboration
JICA will strengthen its collaboration with diverse partners across Japan to address issues in developing countries, while also benefiting Japanese society. Special focus will be placed on establishing a platform to strengthen information-sharing, dialogues, and project collaborations regarding the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Promote innovation
To tackle development issues that are either new or unresolvable by using existing techniques, JICA will explore and adopt innovations. Special focus will be placed on making institutional arrangements for promoting innovations to overcome the limitations of conventional forms of cooperation and address challenges facing developing countries.
Improve strategy and external dissemination of projects
For important issues affecting the international community and Japan, JICA will undertake timely efforts to be able to make full promotional use of international fora such as the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 7) and the 2019 G20 Osaka Summit. Special focus will be placed on contributing to (1) climate change measures, (2) human security, (3) the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympic Games, (4) collaboration with Nikkei communities in Latin America and the Caribbean, and (5) the new Japan-China cooperative relationship. By proactively highlighting these activities, JICA will enhance its presence in the international community.
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The following table sets forth summary budget information in terms of budgeted expenses for the three main arms of operations of JICA for JFY 2019 and JFY 2020:
Budget for Three Main Arms of Operations
| For the year ended | For the year ending | |||||||||||
| March 31, 2020 | March 31, 2021 (Initial Budget) | March 31, 2021 (Revised budget) | ||||||||||
| (in billions of yen) | ||||||||||||
Finance and Investment | ¥ | 1,395.0 | ¥ | 1,400.0 | ¥ | 1,650.0 | ||||||
Technical Cooperation | 151.0 | 151.6 | 155.4 | |||||||||
Grant Aid | 163.1 | 163.2 | 163.2 | |||||||||
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Total | ¥ | 1,709.1 | ¥ | 1,714.8 | ¥ | 1,968.6 | ||||||
Finance and Investment operations are funded in accordance with the government of Japan’s ODA commitments and carried out in line with policies implemented by the Japanese Cabinet, and JICA is authorized by statute to borrow from the Japanese government on a long-term basis or issue bonds in order to fund these operations. Over the past three fiscal years, the amount of available funding for JICA’s Finance and Investment operations under JICA’s funding plan has increased, as shown in the following table:
Finance and Investment Account Funding Plan
| JFY 2018 | JFY 2019 | JFY 2020 (Initial Budget) | JFY 2020 (Revised Budget) | |||||||||||||
| (in billions of yen) | ||||||||||||||||
Contribution from the government | ¥ | 46.0 | ¥ | 46.8 | ¥ | 46.6 | ¥ | 47.5 | ||||||||
Fiscal Investment and Loan Program (FILP) | 618.4 | 549.2 | 571.1 | 820.2 | ||||||||||||
Borrowing from FILP | 552.4 | 485.2 | 505.1 | 754.2 | ||||||||||||
Government-guaranteed bonds | 66.0 | 64.0 | 66.0 | 66.0 | ||||||||||||
FILP Agency Bonds(1) | 80.0 | 80.0 | 80.0 | 80.0 | ||||||||||||
Others | 618.6 | 719.0 | 702.3 | 702.3 | ||||||||||||
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Total | ¥ | 1,363.0 | ¥ | 1,395.0 | ¥ | 1,400.0 | ¥ | 1,650.0 | ||||||||
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Notes:
| (1) | Refers to non-government-guaranteed domestic bonds issued pursuant to FILP. |
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Funding Track Record
Pursuant to JICA’s authority to issue bonds to fund its Finance and Investment operations, JICA has developed a track record of issuing bonds in both domestic and international markets.
Since December 2008, JICA has issued 56 non-government-guaranteed bonds in domestic markets, totaling ¥715 billion. The following table provides JICA’s issuance record of non-government-guaranteed bonds since June 2018:
Bond | Issue Date | Amount | Coupon | Term | ||||||||||
| (in billions of yen) | (%) | (years) | ||||||||||||
44th | June 28, 2018 | 15 | 0.200 | 10 | ||||||||||
45th | June 28, 2018 | 10 | 0.559 | 20 | ||||||||||
46th | September 20, 2018 | 20 | 0.664 | 20 | ||||||||||
47th | December 20, 2018 | 15 | 0.636 | 20 | ||||||||||
48th | June 20, 2019 | 10 | 0.059 | 10 | ||||||||||
49th | June 20, 2019 | 10 | 0.333 | 20 | ||||||||||
50th | September 20, 2019 | 12 | 0.055 | 10 | ||||||||||
51st | December 20, 2019 | 18 | 0.538 | 30 | ||||||||||
52nd | March 19, 2020 | 10 | 0.055 | 10 | ||||||||||
53rd | June 26, 2020 | 10 | 0.160 | 10 | ||||||||||
54th | June 26, 2020 | 13 | 0.445 | 20 | ||||||||||
55th | September 28, 2020 | 10 | 0.150 | 10 | ||||||||||
56th | September 28, 2020 | 12 | 0.459 | 20 | ||||||||||
Since November 2014, JICA has issued 5 government-guaranteed bonds in international markets, totaling $2,500 million. The following table provides JICA’s issuance record of government-guaranteed bonds:
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Bond | Issue Date | Amount | Coupon | Term | ||||||||||
| (in millions of dollars) | (%) | (years) | ||||||||||||
1st | November 13, 2014 | 500 | 1.875 | 5 | ||||||||||
2nd | October 20, 2016 | 500 | 2.125 | 10 | ||||||||||
3rd | April 27, 2017 | 500 | 2.750 | 10 | ||||||||||
4th | June 12, 2018 | 500 | 3.375 | 10 | ||||||||||
5th | July 22, 2020 | 500 | 1.000 | 10 | ||||||||||
Guidelines for Environmental and Social Considerations
Although JICA’s various projects aim for social and economic development, there is a risk that such initiatives may produce negative externalities on the environment as well as on the society in the form of involuntary resettlement or infringement of the rights of indigenous peoples. In order to achieve sustainable development, the impact and externalities of every project must be assessed and any means to avoid, minimize or compensate potential negative externalities must be integrated into the project. JICA refers to this internalization of environmental and social cost into the development cost as Environmental and Social Considerations (“ESC”). JICA has set out Guidelines for ESC which set forth JICA’s responsibilities and required procedures, together with obligations of partner countries and project proponents, in order to put ESC into practice.
JICA’s partners, including host countries, borrowers and project proponents bear the primary responsibility for ESC. JICA’s role is to examine ESC undertaken by project proponents in their development projects and to provide necessary support to ensure that the appropriate ESC are put into practice and that any adverse impact is avoided or minimized to an acceptable level.
The operations of the Finance and Investment account involve various risks, including credit risk, market risk, liquidity risk, and operational risk. As a government agency the nature as well as the volume of risks in JICA’s operations and the ways to deal with them differ from the risks and countermeasures at private financial institutions. Nonetheless, it is essential for JICA to have appropriate risk management just as at a financial institution.
In line with the global trend of an increasing focus on risk management among financial institutions and regulators, JICA is constantly improving its risk management of the Finance and Investment Account.
More specifically, risk management of the Finance and Investment Account is positioned as a managerial issue that needs to be addressed systematically by the organization in its entirety. JICA has thus adopted a risk management policy for its operations, under which JICA identifies, measures and monitors various risks. The objective of this policy is to ensure sound and effective operations and to earn returns commensurate with risks.
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JICA has established a Risk Management Committee for the Finance and Investment Account responsible for examining important issues related to integrated risk management.
JICA manages various risks associated with Finance and Investment operations as follows:
Credit Risk
Credit risk refers to the potential loss from difficulties or failure to recover credit assets due to the deteriorating financial condition of a debtor. The main area of Finance and Investment operations is lending. See “—Operations”. Consequently, the control of credit risk is a major part of JICA’s risk management. Sovereign risk in particular makes up a considerable part of the credit risk that accompanies ODA Loans.
JICA, as an official financer, evaluates sovereign risk by making full use of information gathered through communication with the governments and relevant authorities in the recipient countries, multilateral institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, other regional and bilateral donor organizations and private financial institutions in developed countries. With respect to PSIF, JICA assesses the risk associated with lending to private entities as well as country risk and currency risk.
Credit Rating System
JICA has established a credit rating system as part of the organization’s operating procedures. Credit ratings are the cornerstone of credit risk management, used for conducting individual credit appraisals and quantifying credit risks. Credit ratings are divided into two borrower specific categories: sovereign borrowers and non-sovereign borrowers, with the ratings updated where appropriate.
Self-Assessment of Asset Portfolio
When managing credit risks, it is important for JICA to make proper self-assessments of its loan portfolio and implement write-offs and loan loss provisions in a proper and timely manner. Based on the Financial Inspection Manual prepared by the Financial Services Agency of Japan, JICA has developed internal rules for such assessment. To ensure an appropriate checking function in this process, the first-stage assessment is conducted by the relevant departments in charge of lending and investment, and the second-stage assessment by the credit risk analysis department. An accurate understanding of asset quality is of paramount importance to the maintenance of JICA’s financial soundness and for disclosure.
Quantifying Credit Risk
In addition to individual credit risk management, JICA is working on quantifying credit risks with a view to evaluating the risk of its overall loan portfolio. To that end, it is important to take into account the characteristics of JICA’s loan portfolio, a significant proportion of which consists of long-term loans and sovereign loans to developing and emerging countries. Also, JICA takes into account multilateral mechanisms for securing assets such as the Paris Club, which is a unique framework for debt management by official creditor countries. By incorporating these factors into the credit risk quantification model, JICA measures credit risks and utilizes data for internal controls.
The following table shows the ratio of JICA’s risk-monitored loans, which includes loans to debtor in legal bankruptcy, past due loans, loans in arrears by three months or more and restructured loans, to total loans receivable, as of the dates indicated:
| As of March 31, | ||||||||||||
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | ||||||||||
| (in billions of yen except for ratio) | ||||||||||||
Loans to Debtor in Legal Bankruptcy | — | — | — | |||||||||
Past Due Loans | ¥ | 87 | ¥ | 87 | ¥ | 87 | ||||||
Loans in Arrears by Three Months or More | — | — | — | |||||||||
Restructured Loans | 655 | 609 | 473 | |||||||||
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Total (A) | ¥ | 742 | ¥ | 696 | ¥ | 561 | ||||||
Balance of Loans Receivable (B) | 12,092 | 12,387 | 12,702 | |||||||||
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A / B (%) | 6.14 | % | 5.62 | % | 4.41 | % | ||||||
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Market Risk
Market risk refers to the potential losses incurred through changes in the value of assets and liabilities resulting from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and/or interest rates. JICA bears risks arising from long-term fixed rate interest loans due to the characteristics of its lending activities. On this front, JICA is enhancing its capacity to absorb interest rate risk by using capital injections from the General Account Budget of the Japanese government.
Furthermore, interest rate swaps are carried out exclusively for the purpose of hedging interest rate risk. In order to control counterparty credit risk of interest rate swaps, the market value of transactions and credit worthiness of each counterparty are constantly assessed and collateral is secured when necessary.
With the introduction of operations such as Japanese ODA Loans with the option for borrowers to repay in currencies other than yen adopted in JFY 2012 and dollar-denominated Japanese ODA Loans started from the year ended March 31, 2017, currency risks may arise from the conversion of yen-denominated loans into foreign currency-denominated loans or from general exchange rate fluctuations. Consequently, currency risk is hedged through currency swaps. Moreover, when foreign currency-denominated investments are extended in PSIF, currency risk is assumed in connection with the valuation of investments. JICA manages this currency risk through regular and continuous monitoring of exchange rate fluctuations in the currency of the country in which the counterparty is located.
Liquidity Risk
Liquidity risk may result from a deterioration of JICA’s credit or to an unexpectedly large increase in expenditures or an unexpectedly large decrease in revenues. JICA adopts various measures to avoid liquidity risk through management of its cash flow. This includes efforts to secure multiple sources of funds such as agency bonds and borrowing under fiscal investment and loan programs established by JICA.
Operational Risk
Operational risk refers to potential losses stemming from work processes, personnel activities, improper systems or other external events. JICA manages the operational risk as part of the efforts to promote its compliance policy.
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Board Members
The names, current positions and previous positions of executive officers and auditors as of July 1, 2020 are as follows:
Title | Name | Date of | Previous Position | |||
President | KITAOKA Shinichi | October 1, 2015 (Reappointment) | President, the International University of Japan | |||
Executive Senior Vice President | YAMADA Junichi | May 23, 2020 | Senior Vice President, JICA | |||
Senior Vice President | SUZUKI Noriko | October 1, 2016 (Reappointment) | Director General, Secretariat of Japan Disaster Relief Team, JICA | |||
Senior Vice President | TANAKA Yasushi | August 1, 2018 (Reappointment) | Director General, Southeast Asia and Pacific Department, JICA | |||
Senior Vice President | UESHIMA Takumi | December 1, 2018 | Chief Secretary, Office of President, JICA | |||
Senior Vice President | AMANO Yusuke | April 1, 2019 (Reappointment) | Director, Watershed Management, Sewerage Management Department, Water and Disaster Management Bureau, MLIT | |||
Senior Vice President | KAYASHIMA Nobuko | October 1, 2019 | Vice President, JICA/ Principal Research Fellow, JICA Research Institute | |||
Senior Vice President | YOKOYAMA Tadashi | October 1, 2019 | Deputy Vice Minister for international affairs, Ministry of Finance | |||
Senior Vice President | NAKAZAWA Keiichiro | May 23, 2020 | Director General, Operations Strategy Department, JICA | |||
Senior Vice President | SHIBATA Hironori | July 1, 2020 | Deputy Director-General for International Trade Policy of the Trade Policy Bureau, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan | |||
Auditor | MACHII Hiromi | January 1, 2014 (Reappointment) | Compliance Officer, SG ASSETMAX CO., LTD. | |||
Auditor | HAYAMICHI Nobuhiro | July 1, 2017 | Senior Audit Manager, Internal Audit Office, PANASONIC HEALTHCARE HOLDINGS Co., Ltd. | |||
Auditor | TOGAWA Masato | February 1, 2019 | Director General, Personnel Department, JICA |
| (1) | Senior vice presidents and auditors are listed in the order of their appointment. |
| (2) | Number of executive officers and auditors: Pursuant to Article 7 of the JICA Act, there shall be one president and three auditors, and there may be one executive senior vice president and up to eight senior vice presidents. |
| (3) | Terms of office of executive officers and auditors: Pursuant to Article 21 of the Act on General Rules for Incorporated Administrative Agencies, the term of office of the president is from the date of appointment until the last day of the mid-term plan currently in effect at the time of the appointment, and the term of office of each auditor is from the date of appointment until the date that the audited financial statements covering the final fiscal year of the mid-term plan for which such auditor is responsible are approved. Pursuant to Article 9 of the JICA Act, the term of office of the executive senior vice president, if any, is four years, and the term of office of the senior vice presidents, if any, is two years. |
JICA employed 1,929 full-time employees across the Headquarters in Tokyo, 14 domestic offices and 96 overseas offices as of September 1, 2020.
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