The upcoming 9th Tokyo International Conference on AfricanDevelopment(TICAD9)-to
be held in August 2025 provides an opportune moment for young people in Africa and
Japan to lead the way in co-creating actionable development strategies. For 30 years now,
TICAD has been an evolving element in Japan’s long-term commitment to fostering
prosperity, peace and stability in Africa through collaborative partnerships.
At the same time,the environment surrounding Africa and Japan has changed dramatically
over the decades. African countries have steadily achieved poverty reduction and economic
growth, and their populations have increased from about 635 million to more than 1.4
billion. The population is expected to continue to grow over the long term, and with the
expansion of the middle-income class, a large consumer market is being formed, and there
is great potential for further economic development. In addition, with its abundant mineral
resources and potential to become an important economic and security partner, the
African countries are strengthening their its presence in the international community. On
the other hand, Africa is still facing many developmental challenges, and has yet to fully
realize its potential.
On the other hand, Japan has experienced a birthrate decline over the past 30 years and is now facing an unprecedented aging society with a shift in social structure. The scale of ODA (Official Development Assistance) has shrunk in the past 30 years, and it will be necessary to create an effective impact with less funding. In addition, as the economic outlook becomes more uncertain, some Japanese say, “We should prioritize Japan first, we don’t have time and money to worry about Africa”. In this context, now is the time to change the narrative of Africa and Japan relations. Listening to youth voices, it is necessary to adopt a win-win relationship that would impact positively both Africa and Japan.
In this process, youth will play a very important role. This is because youth are not only parties to the present, but also to the future, and the challenges of today have a pro-long and significant impact on youth both positively and negatively. Therefore, they have a high sense of commitment and agency to the future.
At the same time, youth have the ability to think flexibly, adapt to new technologies, and act boldly, which they can use to bring innovation and change to society and become parties to solving social issues. It is no exaggeration to say that youth is the potential for a better future, and it is no exaggeration to say that the fortune of the world is up to the degree to which they draw on this potential.
Considering the above context, “The Youth Agenda 2055: The Future We Want
~Africa-Japan Youth Policy Proposal and Action Plan from TICAD 9~” (here in after
called as “Agenda”) is formulated envisioning that African and Japanese youth shape
inclusive Future We Want and policies and action plans that foster their full potential
as a co-creation partner.
The SGDs’Agenda 2030, the Agenda 2063, and the Summit of the Future all highlight youth
as key to sustainable development. SDGs 4, 8, and 10 focus on education, employment, and reducing inequalities for young people. Agenda 2063’s Aspiration 6 emphasizes youth in Africa’s development, while the Summit of the Future calls for their active role in global decision-making, ensuring they contribute to both regional and global progress.
The following statistics highlighted in the 2024 Africa Sustainable Development Report underscore the importance of active youth participation in shaping a sustainable future:
Over 55 million Africans were pushed into poverty due to the COVID-19 pandemic
[reference needed poverty and shared prosperity]. For youth-driven sustainability, this
highlights the urgent need for youth to engage in poverty eradication initiatives, particularly
in entrepreneurship and economic resilience. Africa’s unemployed poor population stands
at 31.09 %,far exceeding the global average of 6.38%[ref]. Youth must focus on innovation
and skill-building to create sustainable employment solutions. In 2022, 60% of Africa’s
population faced food insecurity, with 1 in 3 children under five being stunted[ref]. This
calls for youth to champion sustainable agricultural practices and address hunger. Only
17.4% of Africa’s population is covered by formal social protection systems[ref]. Youth
advocacy is vital for policies that enhance social protection and inclusivity. Africa
contributed less than 4% to global emissions but faces severe climate impacts[ref], with
110 million people directly affected in 2022[ref]. Youth movements should focus on climate
resilience and mitigation. Africa loses $88.6 billion annually to illicit financial flows[ref].
Youth-driven governance reforms can help curb corruption and redirect funds towards
development. 52% of Africans have access to basic sanitation services, compared to the
global average of 81%. This gap calls for youth advocacy in water, sanitation, and hygiene
(WASH) initiatives. 20 out of 38 low-income African countries face high risks of debt
distress. Youth need to promote fiscal responsibility and innovative financing models for
sustainable growth. Official Development Assistance to agriculture dropped from $5.98
billion to $4.673 billion in 2021. Youth leadership in promoting local food systems and
sustainable farming is essential to mitigate this gap. There port finds that only 6% of the 32
measurable SDG targets reviewed are on track to be achieved by 2030 in Africa. This
stresses the urgency for youth to accelerate action across sectors like poverty reduction,
climate action, and governance reform. [references are needed]
Similar statistics for the Asia-Pacific Region are also highlighted in the‘ 2024 Asia-Pacific SDG
Partnership Report. People and Planet:Addressing the Interlinked Challenges of Climate Change,
Poverty and Hunger in Asia and the Pacific’ by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia
and the Pacific (ESCAP), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the United Nations
DevelopmentProgramme(UNDP). The report highlights include:the Asia-Pacific, region has
made only 15% of the necessary progress toward achieving the SDGs. Youth efforts to build
a sustainable future must focus on accelerating this progress. Asia-Pacific faces severe
impacts of climate change, within creasing floods and storms affecting 47 million people in
2023 alone. This highlights the importance for youth movements to prioritize climate
resilience. Climate change can cause a significant decline in crop yields in Asia-Pacific,
threatening food security. Young leaders in agriculture can help implement climate-resilient
farming practices as 25 % of people in Asia-Pacific were food in secure in 2021, and hunger
remains a critical issue and over 460 million people in Asia-Pacific have experienced severe
food in security, with long-term impacts on health. In 2023,many Asia-Pacific countries had
over 20% of their populations living in multidimensional poverty leaving 1.5 billion people
in South Asia vulnerable due to inefficient or absent cooling systems. Youth efforts can
innovate energy solutions to address such challenges. Notably, 41% of global flood
disasters occur in Asia-Pacific, disproportionately affecting the poor. Youth-driven disaster risk reduction initiatives are critical to building resilient communities. [ same comment
about references]
AAYN is a voluntary youth group established with a focus on recipients of the MEXT
scholarship. The group is dedicated to fostering a cohesive global community where in
youth from African and Asian nations converge to envisage a brighter future and jointly
confront contemporary societal challenges.
ADNJ is a network of the African community in Japan, including those of African descent
that operates different associations with an aim to strengthen African and Japanese
socio-economic development ties. ADNJ is the United Africa in Japan that brings Africans
and Japanese together as one community through a strong and trustworthy network for
the betterment of both societies.
JICA, as an incorporated administrative agency under the Act of the Incorporated
Administrative Agency-Japan International Cooperation Agency, is one of the world’s
largest bilateral aid agencies supporting socio economic development in developing
countries in different regions of the world.
UUNDP with a global presence in nearly 170 countries works with partners to promote
sustainable development. UNDP Administrator is the Vice-Chair of the UN Sustainable
Development Group, which unites the 40 UN entities. Under this Statement of Intent,UNDP
plays a catalytic role in engaging respective youth-oriented partners including the United
Nations Development Programme (UNV).
A survey targeted to youth (aged 35 and under) who see themselves as bridges
(including the one to be) between Africa and Japan was conducted from February to
May, 2025. The purpose of the survey was to gather insights from young people
regarding their perspectives on key challenges,their current engagements,and their
aspirations for the future.
The total response received was 327 by youth from Africa and Japan.
The summary report [Attachment X] highlighted the demographic details of the
respondents, their professional backgrounds, their knowledge and involvement with
TICAD, the challenges they perceive around them, and the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) they relate to.
The Africa-Japan Youth Drive is a platform for connecting youth changemakers in
both Africa and Japan and the society to engage in intergenerational and
inter-disciplinary dialogue. We host first Youth Drive as one of
the official side-events of TICAD 9 Ministerial Meeting from 24th to 25th of August,
which was supported by UNDP, UNV and JICA.
About 100 participants of the TICAD Ministerial Meeting, co-organizers, and media
gathered at the venue, and the event was simultaneously broadcast online in
English and Japanese and French, with [X] viewers.
The representatives from AAYN and ADNJ officially launched this Youth Agenda and
invited youth and others take holders to participate to create a Future We Want. The
successive panel discussion, “a Future Talk with Youth: Inter- generational Panel”,
five representatives of Japanese and African youth and four representatives of
middle and senior generations as panelists discussed the following three
suggestions from youth derived from the series of processes above to the date.
Speakers :
*Opening Remarks Mr. Naoki Ando, Senior Vice President of JICA
*Power of Youth
-Mr. David Kpondehou, President, Africa Diaspora Network in Japan (ADNJ)
-Ms. Yuki Yasumiba, Co-Founder, Africa Asia Youth Nest (AAYN)
*Moderator
-Ms.Fatoumatta Mboge-Ba,Special Advisor to Director of the Regional Bureau for Africa,
UNDP
-Mr. Shuhei Ueno, Deputy Director General (for Planning and TICAD Process), Africa
Department, JICA
* Panelists
– Mr. Kabarebe James, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in Charge of Regional
Cooperation, Rwanda
- Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa, Assistant Secretary General and Regional Director for Africa,
UNDP
- Ms. Takako Suzuki, MP, House of Representatives
– Mr. Mutsuo Iwai, Senior Vice Chairperson, Japan Association of Corporate Executives
– Mr. Gwei Michael Wawa, CEO and Founder, Wandaprep LLC.
– Ms. Yukie Fujioka, Peace building Specialist (UN Volunteer), UNDP The Gambia Office
– Ms. Ami Nishijima, Co-Founder, Africa Asia Youth Nest (AAYN)
– Mr. David Kpondehou, President, Africa Diaspora Network in Japan (ADNJ)
– Mr. Naru Yamagishi, CEO, Uzuri
* Message to Youth : Ms.Kinuko Yamamoto, Director and Executive Vice President, Pasona
Group Inc.
*Closing Remarks : Mr. Yoichi Fukazawa, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs,
Japan
The recommendations presented herein are built around six pillars. Each of these areas
represents an essential need that must be met to create pathways for young people to
thrive, ensuring they have the tools and opportunities to actively participate in building the
future they want.
1. Social
2. Economic
3. Cultural
4. Digitalization
5. Political and
6. Climate Justice
Social structures must adapt to meet the changing dynamics of youth populations. Access to quality education, healthcare, and mental health services are pivotal in ensuring that
youth are equipped with the skills, knowledge, and well-being necessary to contribute to
society. Economically, the empowerment of youth hinges on creating sustainable job
opportunities and equitable access to financial resources. By fostering entrepreneurship
and integrating youth into economic planning, we enable them to become drivers of
growth and innovation across industries. The cultural dimension strengthens identity,
diversity, and community. Youth must be supported in preserving cultural heritage while
also embracing global interconnectedness. In an increasingly digitized world, digitalization
presents vast opportunities to enhance youth engagement through technological skills and
innovation. Furthermore, political inclusion ensures youth have a voice indecision-making
processes, enabling them to shape policies that directly impact their futures. Finally, legal
frameworks must protect youth rights and provide the foundation for equitable treatment, Youth Agenda 2055
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guaranteeing the structural conditions that foster both individual and collective
empowerment.
The following are the strategic priorities of the African – Japanese youths:
Future We Want 1. Allyoutharelivinginapeacefulandprotectedenvironmentwith
access to universal quality social services and modern technology.
We want a future where all youth, regardless of place of birth, are thriving in an environment free from all threats (poverty, violence, disease, etc) and discrimination, and
guaranteed their human rights.
Especially, full gender equality has been achieved at various levels in private companies,
government, parliament, etc and no matter what gender youth are,they can act according
to their own will without experiencing any discrimination.
The sentences below is not closely related to the topics in this section. [Proposals]
[briefly describe the current situation recognition ] For youth to grow up healthy and
achieve self-fulfillment, it is essential that their rights and well-being be guaranteed
by society, which calls for assurances of access to affordable, quality education,
health care, infrastructure, modern technology, and social security systems.
[ briefly describe the current situation recognition ] All stakeholders are responsible
for creating a society with no tolerance to discrimination based on all gender and
sexual orientation. In particular, it is important to achieve a society where all girls
are able to make career choices without any fear and violence. For example,
expanding advocacy and education on sexual and reproductive health and rights,
strategic use of the quota system; comprehensive review of existing manuals and
guidelines in education and work places to make them gender-sensitive; encourage
more women in management and parliamentary positions; public, private, and civil Youth Agenda 2055
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sector partnerships to provide essential sanitary products/contraceptives and
hygiene services to girls in Africa and Japan.
Focused age range:
[ briefly describe the current situation recognition] Peace is the foundation of all
prosperity, and we call for exploring the possibility of multi-stakeholder
partnerships for its realization and maintenance, based on the principles of mutual
cooperation, innovation, and sustainable development and youth should be
ensured to participate in its peace building process. In addition, conflicts in the field
of new technologies such as space and AI should certainly be avoided through
communication, rule-making, and innovative thinking. As issues such as epidemics
and climate change become more complex and uncertain, there is a need to
increase the resilience of society in order to prevent conflict.
Future We Want 2. All youth are employed in quality jobs that youth themselves are
proud of, or have access to opportunities to access those jobs.
This is the most urgent concern, especially in Africa, among youth. The issue of
employment is not just about securing a means of livelihood, it is an important part of
career development through accumulating experience and skills,to pursue self-fulfillment,
to connect to the community, and to provide a personal safety net for youth.
Therefore, we want a future where all youth can make their own career choices,access to
decent work, and receive the education and career development support to achieve so.
In that future,youth from Japan and Africa, as well as youth and seniors, support and learn
from each other in order to foster industries that create jobs and economic growth, such as
more African youth are exploring opportunities in Japan in general and particulary in rural areas of Japan, thus a knowledge and technology exchange and transfer between the
region is taking place.
Also in the Future, an inclusive work environment ensures equal opportunities for all,
especially those who are marginalized as of 2024 (females female, youth without any career
development opportunities, people with disabilities, refugees, etc) and by eradicating false
social norms and stereotypes. Work style is more flexible so that everyone (mothers,
fathers, family care-takers, etc) can work their own way from wherever and whatever time
zone they are in. Labor and immigration laws have been strengthened and become
common practice to ensure the protection of the rights of youth workers, both local and
immigrant. Practical skill development opportunities are open at various levels from Youth Agenda 2055
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primary to recurrent education for youth to change the career path they want.
[ Proposals]*These are common to Japan and Africa, but we hope that they will be
implemented promptly, especially in Africa.
Ensuring comprehensive access to compulsory education should now be a
common place achievement, and we urge the next stage is to expand its quality. We
also call for a review of the curriculum that can be adapted to changing times and
provide the ICT skills that are essential in modern employment.
It is said that Early Childhood Education has an extremely significant impact on a
child’s later life, both physically and mentally. It is also essential for the social
advancement of young women, especially those who have children.
Since the 1990s, Japan has experienced persistent wage stagnation due to economic
stagnation, deflation, and structural labor market issues. This lack of salary growth
has created significant financial insecurity among youth, limiting their ability to
achieve long-term economic stability and to pursue major life milestones, such as
marriage and starting a family. As a result, many young people are unable to secure
quality jobs or invest in their futures, contributing to the country’s declining birth
rate and a demographic crisis.
The structure should be the same as above ([short description of current situation
↓
recognition] and Focused age ranges should be included as far as possible.
Expansion of training in line with market demands in cooperation with industry,
priority investment in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)
fields.
Creation of youth-accessible career guidance centers, online platforms, and mobile
apps to improve youth access to employment opportunities, information on career
pathways and skill requirements, and career consultation.
Subsidize local and foreign companies that hire and train new graduates to promote
youth to gain experiences. This is because youth seeking for job experience for the
first time are mostly rejected for not having experience. Youth need support to
acquire the first experience.
We call for investment in places where youth can acquire knowledge and improve
skills for career development on their own initiative, without being tied to a specific
age or school. It also calls for financial support for youth to do these things,
permission to work second jobs, and workplace rules that allow flexible work hours.
These can also be very useful for youth who dropped out of school.
As an employment-absorbing industry, youth are highly interested in agriculture (ref.
The results of our questionnaire survey). Agriculture provides employment
opportunities for many youths in Africa and Japan and will be an important industry
in the future from the perspective of food security. However, it is a fact that
agriculture is not an attractive career choice for youth due to its high work load, long
working hours, instability, and low income. In addition, although agriculture is
thriving in rural are as, many youths are currently migrating to urban areas where it
is more convenient and attractive for them. To solve the above issues, it is essential
to improve the attractiveness and profitability of agriculture and invest in rural
areas. To this end, we propose the following concrete measures.
● Incorporate agricultural education into the compulsory education curriculum.
● Launch a platform for African and Japanese youth to exchange agricultural
knowledge and job opportunities.
● Increase financial support to local farmers to encourage the introduction of
new technologies
● Implement supportive legislation and provide incentives to private sectors to
encourage investment in rural areas.
● Establish AI and related technology hubs for rural youth to foster innovative
and efficient solutions to agricultural challenges.
● Encourage the expansion of rural Internet penetration to 70 % in Africa, and
provide rural residents with access to new technologies
● Sensitize agriculture in immigration laws in Japan and Africa to facilitate the
exchange of agricultural workers from around the world.
● Improve labor laws to ensure protection of the rights of local and migrant
workers in agriculture.
● Through Japan’s international cooperation, promote the establishment of
branches of Japanese electric power companies and AI providers in Africa
and support the expansion of Internet penetration in rural areas.
● Promote case studies and field trips for agriculture university students to
implement their solutions on farms in Africa, in collaboration with the
Japanese private technology sector, while also offering African agriculture
students opportunities to gain exposure and experience in Japan.
While Japan and Africa face different challenges, at the same time, youth also recognize
significant potential for mutual thriving by co-learning and co-creation. However, both
physical and psychological distances persist between us, leading to persisted stereotypes
and misunderstandings among each other. This affects not only the youth traveling
between Africa and Japan but also the diaspora. To transcend the current situation, the
majority of youth involved in our process recommended reconstructing our relationship
into more “people to people” centric by enhancing human mobility and social cohesion.
Therefore, we want a future where people in Japan and Africa are exploring the rich
diversity of each other’s culture beyond its “stereotypes” and truly embrace each other in
its entirety. In the Future, people in Japan/African countries are striving for more
meaningful connections and personal experiences with Japan or a wide range of African
countries, avoiding the tendency to generalize cultural encounters from one country to a region or an entire continent. Although, people can experience each other’s
culture/society/language in a new way through technology and innovation, youth
understand the needs and situations of people in other places with whom they don’t have
direct contact, value their culture, and not only focus on virtual things, even though social
networking sites are still important tools. Therefore, both African and Japanese youth are
directly communicating with each other with improved language skills (even as technology
advances,language is so deeply tied to cultural identity that it must continue to be learned)
and study a broad or cult ural exchange programs between Japan and Africa are expanded
from children to elders. More and more people are traveling between the two regions
thanks to a smoother travel system (e.g.no visa, direct flight, etc). Also, bilateral relations
between Japan and African countries have become stronger in many aspects, and these
relations are leading the way to world peace.
In addition mutual and inclusive economic prosperity driven by
innovative partnerships and shared markets can realized between Japan and Africa,
including enhanced and diversified business ventures between Africa and Japan in
technology and manufacturing, trade l
Liberalization occurred allowing the use of any
currency with none being superior and others.
This also led to the increased populations living in each other’s countries as diasporas. In
the places where both diasporas live, they are accepted by their communities and
participate in the decision-making process without discrimination,and their voices are truly
appreciated.
[Proposals]
More funding should be provided to Japanese and African youth to enable them to
gain hands-on experience in real Africa and Japan, to foster a sense of commitment
to each other.
From this perspective, the ABE Initiative by JICA and the Tobitate Study Abroad
Initiative by MEXT are excellent initiatives and should be continued further.
The scope should also be extended to high school students (some students
could join technical schools), and a fully-funded bilateral exchange program should
be established by the governments of Africa and Japan that allows high school
students from both regions to participate in exchange visits, joint projects, and
academic cooperation. It would also be effective to promote sister school
partnerships between Japan and Africa. For example, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign
Affairs has an exchange program to promote cultural exchange with various
regions, but not with the African region yet.
Scholarship programs should also not only secure undergraduate and master’s
degrees, but also promote 1-month, 2-month, 3-month or 6-month to 1-year
exchange programs between Africans and Japanese.
Also, business/government organization exchange/internship programs between
Africa and Japan should be promoted. These are effective not only in promoting
cultural understanding, but also in terms of sharing knowledge and skills of both
sides, as well as human resource development.
To promote this, Introduction of visa-free travel arrangements specifically for those
participating in such exchange programs is critical.
There is also a need for a flexible support program for African and Japanese youth
to start businesses, projects, and research in their respective counterpart region.
For example, partial coverage of travel and accommodation expenses to the site, or
a matching system for host families and local partners.
Universities, research institutions, and private companies should actively engage in
joint research and projects with local African partners. Governments should also
expand subsidies to facilitate this.
Accelerate efficient follow up for African-Japanese exchange program alumni and
monitor progress and implementation of knowledge acquired.
Language is not only for communication but also an embodiment of the roots of the
speakers, which means learning a language also means to learn a culture.
Therefore, even with the development of technology, learning a language is
important, and opportunities for language learning for youth for this purpose is
essential. For example, we propose to expand Japanese as a second language at
university electives in African countries and training more Japanese language
teachers for this purpose, dispatching more language teaching volunteers between
Africa and Japan, subsidize for youth on online learning platforms (e.g. Duolingo),
and internal subsidies to employees who wish to learn languages.
Opportunities for collaboration in business ventures between Africa and Japan are
limited due to misconceptions about the market, security, uncertainty and
complexity of the market regulation, political and economic instability, Africa and
Japan should accelerate its business collaboration and to acquire new markets and
human resources, industrial development. To this end, we propose the following
points.
● Further government investment in infrastructure facilities to lower logistics
costs from ports and evaluation of customs to better facilitate logistics in
each country.
● The development of legal and strategic domestic industry protection policies
to prevent unilateral exploitation. Support for the formulation and
implementation of human rights and environmental considerations in the
value chain.
● Establish a Japan-Africa Business Council to promote business opportunities
between Africa and Japan, make policy recommendations, and review
institutional arrangements, which will be monitored and made available to
the public for transparency.
● TICAD should showcase successful business models in Africa, and enhance
the international community’s confidence in and positive attitude toward
African countries.
● Launch co-creation projects and tours for Japanese youth to explore business
opportunities in Africa.
● Introduction of direct flights between Japan and Africa, easing of visa
requirements
● Abolition of media that fixes a limited dimension of the continent (e.g.
showing that “Africa is poor”)and change the narative.
● Prioritize investment in improving security and medical care in African
countries. Also, improve access to local safety information, expand services
for safety management measures, and establish a consultation service for
Japanese to go to Africa.
● Promote cultural understanding through cultural contents, such as making
Japanese animation and manga available in local languages and releasing
African films in subscription services.
● Creation of a legal system that allows foreigners, including Africans, to come to Japan to work in a formal way. Also, expansion of orientation programs
upon arrival in Japan and Africa (courses on language, culture, manners, etc).
Creation of an environment where children with foreign roots can study in Youth Agenda 2055
Zero Draft 17
peace without discrimination.Strategic placement of teachers and volunteers
dedicated for this purpose.
● Implementation of measures to enable the diaspora to integrate into the
community (e.g., Information dissemination for foreigners from
municipalities, establishment of consultation centers where foreigners can
consult with professionals regarding issues from daily life to legal problems,
etc.)
● Establishment of a mechanism for the diaspora to raise their opinions on
politics and policies and have them appropriately reflected as the will of the
people (e.g., expansion of suffrage and voting rights, etc.)
Strategic dispatch of foreign human resources to Japanese rural areas for the
purpose of regional development (e.g., hiring foreign personnel for the
Regional Development Cooperation Corps) and this initiative can revitalize
local economies and inspire Japanese youth to return to rural areas by
fostering dynamic, multicultural communities. According Japan News-Yomiuri
Shinbun Jiji Press- 13:10 JST, December 23, 2023, over 50% of Japan’s
municipalities experiencing population decline, and some regions projected
to lose up to 30% of their population by 2050, this strategy offers a
sustainable approach to counteract the drastic youth absence and support
long-term regional revitalization.
● We propose the creation of an Africa-Japan Youth Dialogue to facilitate
ongoing conversations between youth from both regions, aimed at
strengthening the relationship between Japan and African countries. This
platform would mirror successful models like the Australia-Japan Youth
Dialogue, promoting mutual understanding and collaboration for future
partnerships.
Future We Want 4. Youth voices are not only heard in decision making processes but
also youth are one of the decision makers to realize their voice into policies in both
regions and also international society.
Youth play a significant role in both the present and the future, as their concerns and
perspectives extend beyond current issues to include the long-term impact of technology,
climate change, and emerging fields like space and technology conflicts. Ensuring
transparency and engaging youth in the processes of every decision making and program
implementations will create impact both now and in the future. That is also essential to
foster capable future leaders.
We want a future where agency is naturally nurtured among all and more
and more youth aspire to be future leaders or political representatives without hesitation to change society with their own hands. Youth are actively involved in the various decision
makings and program implementation processes. Thus, all policies and programs are
mainstreaming youth perspectives and the impact of each policy/program on youth is
measured and evaluated,there by the next actions are constantly improved. Also, increased
political and leading representation of youth in Africa and Japan.
Youth are actively engaged in all TICAD processes, and the impact of TICAD policies and
youth engagements are properly monitored and reviewed every three years.
[Proposals]
Ensure to integrate youth perspective and impact on youth in all stages of planning,
implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of all policies, business and programs.
Ensure the participation of youth themselves in all activities of public and private
organizations. This will not only incorporate youth perspectives in all initiatives, but also help youth improve their own knowledge and skills (especially in new fields),
accumulate experience, and develop the next generation of leaders
Youth from various backgrounds, including researchers, government officials,
business persons, and students, will regularly monitor TICAD activities, hold
discussions prior to the next TICAD plenary session, and submit policy
recommendations based on the discussions for next TICAD declaration.
This proposal is based on the Y7 Summit and the Y20 Summit (an international
meeting of youth leaders representing their countries held once a year as an official
adjunct to the G7 and G20 Summits, organized or sponsored by the host country
government).
Educational programs, internships, and volunteer opportunities should be
expanded at various levels to enable youth to learn about political and social
structures, debate about the politics and social issues, and learn practical skills such
as negotiation, activism and policy writing to be able to join those processes. Specific
ideas are shown below.
● Youth policy fellowship programs that place quotas of youth leaders in
governmental and non-governmental organizations.
● Establish a policy research and development center to conduct relevant
studies on Africa-Japan relations which will then be used to inform the policy frameworks in this process and to also influence policy frameworks on a
wider scale.
● Launch a youth activism platform/program where African and Japanese
youth can connect, collaborate, and share activism resources (initiate social
media campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of youth
activism).
● Meet-a-leader/mentor program where young people in Africa and Japan
meet political leaders and renowned global leaders.
● Develop an impact incubation program where young people in Africa and
Japan viea to be ’presidents’ or ’SDG ministers’. This would allow the
presidents to receive the business stimulus payments and support to
actualize their action plan(s).
● Incorporate civic education programs such as mock parliamentary sessions
or mock elections into compulsory education.
● Program for youth to accompany ministers/political leaders as their “bag
bearers (kabanmochi)” to important international conferences and
diplomatic events.
● In addition, people around youth should treat youth in the classroom, at
home, at work, etc. in a way that youth can believe that their opinions are
equally important as them and should be heard regardless of their age or
experience, and that their actions, however small, can make a difference in
their community.
To ensure transparency in all social activities, decision-making and related activity
reports and research results in the public or private sector should be actively
disclosed and a unified database should be created. Especially for youth to conduct
and make truly effective research, programs, and policy recommendation, a wide
range of reliable data must be open and accessible. Therefore, we strongly
recommend to prioritize establishing a standardized mechanism for reliable data
collection and open data sourcing. In particular, reliable data on Africa is in high
demand among youth, and Japan and African countries should seriously consider
collaboration to resolve this issue.
Japanese youth seek a platform to express themselves both in Japan and on the
global stage, such as through a National Youth Council for youth affairs. Similarly,
African youth, particularly the African Diaspora in Japan, wish to be involved in
decision-making and projects related to Africa. They could serve as an ideal bridge, for example, through an African Diaspora Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of Japan on Africa, supporting a strategic approach to Africa and facilitating project
implementation. For reference, the United States has established a President’s
Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement to fulfill a similar function.
Future We Want 5. African and Japanese youth changemakers are co-creating for a
better future not only for ourselves but for everyone, and to pass it on to the next generation.
We want a future where Africa and Japan join hands with each other and co-create by
leveraging our experiences and strengths, especially youth from Japan and Africa who are
enthusiastic to make a positive impact can actively work together in a supportive
environment to achieve their aspirations, thus various innovations are activated, more and
more challenges are over come, and the positive impacts are transcending national borders
and generations. Those active-youths will also be role models for the surrounding youth
and the children of the next generation to be the next changemakers. [Proposals]
We start by delivering two important messages from youth.
“Be tolerant and generous of youth’s mistakes.” and “Be patient and invest in youth
from a longer perspective.”
Youth is immature. Youth ideas and actions may seem like a waste of time to society. However, the most valuable thing is the process of the youth themselves
taking action and learning from it. In the process, they will learn that they are
immature and discover things they need to change or grow up.
What is most urgent and demanded is to foster a culture in which the non-youth
generation watches over that youth’s growing process, has a strong tolerance for
youth making mistakes, continues to believe in the potential of young people, and continues to invest in them.
Provide highly flexible funds to activities that promote co-creation and social
transformation between Africa and Japan in African countries or in Japan, in
accordance with the nature of the activities and their stage of growth. Examples are
as follows; seed money for PoC of innovative idea, travel expenses between Africa
and Japan, joint research expenses, etc.
Provide goods and location for activities that promote co-creation and social change
between Africa and Japan in African countries or Japan as a field, such as;
● Equipment: sewing machines, motorcycles, mechanical tools and supplies,
computers, access to higher facilities for research and experiments.
● Spaces: In particular, a local address is necessary to open a business in Africa or Japan, but renting an office is not easy, both financially and in terms of the
difficulty of the procedure, for a start-up entrepreneur. In addition,
incubation facilities and co-working spaces are not yet wide spread in Africa,
and their fees are not affordable for youth. It could conceivably support
youth activities by renting out some of the locations and addresses of public
and private institutions.
Matching support between African and Japanese investors, companies, government
agencies, research institutions, civil society organizations, startups, etc. for an acceleration of youth-led activities. Networking among youth change makers where
youth can share their experiences and concerns with other youths, and to consult
with each other.
Expand programs or internship opportunities to acquire skills necessary for
entrepreneurship, such as business planning, fundraising, organizational structure
strengthening, and intellectual property protection, as well as information (country
regulations, business customs, trade systems, etc.) necessary for entering the
African market and for expanding into the Japanese market.
Provide programs or opportunities that allow youth to casually consult with mentors
(senior activists), experts, and consultants about their concerns and issues with
middle and senior generations who have a wealth of knowledge and experience.
For youth who do not have bank accounts or cannot easily obtain
loans from banks,
make low-costand highly convenient financial services available to all youth through
the use of new technologies such as FinTech.
Establishment of an information website or online platform for African and Japanese youth, so that African and Japanese youth can access necessary information equally, quickly, and easily.
Future We Want 6. Natural habitats and ecosystems are restored and thriving in
every region, while achieving inclusive economic growth.
We want a future where no one is unfairly and unequally affected by the negative effects of
climate change, and where the solutions are not forced and unilaterally imposed with great complicity. This includes, for example, plastic-free oceans, infrastructure for recycling
facilities and sorting and processing systems, the development of alternative materials to
plastics, the achievement of net zero emissions, and only economic activities with limited
negative impacts on the natural environment.
● Invest in Youth-led activities / startup tackling the problems related to carbon
emissions and pollutions
● Incentives to be engaged in these activities with low business tax or providing
subsidies
● Get Youth who is familiar with environmental issues in Japan and Africa involved in
Policy Making Tables
● Increase Public-Private partnerships to adapt Japanese solutions and innovations to
reduce pollution / carbon emission into African countries.
● Japan should expand providing capacity building in pollution management and
reduction to African Countries either through long-term or short-term courses.
● Explore possible mechanisms to implement international treaties and agreements
to reduce and eliminate pollution by establishing continent-wide and national
targets
● Leverage the African Union to develop a continent-wide mechanism to meet
international targets for reducing pollution and carbon emissions.
● Have a framework to assess the negative impacts of environmental issues in Africa
so that the continent can speak as one continent and lobbying to larger
industrialized countries while insisting Climate Justice
● Invest and promote more co-creation between entrepreneurs, tertiary education
institutions between Africa and Japan to facilitate more R & D in reducing pollution
and carbon emissions.
The future of the international community will be propelled by youth, who are the core actors in shaping it. Youth must take responsibility for the future of society (youth are not
mere clients who receive services from the government). This entails proposing actions that
the youth themselves will undertake with ownership.
The Youth Action Plan consists of two components, “Youth Declaration” and “Individual
Plans and Ideas ”Youth Declaration is a set of action guidelines that youth should always be
aware of as change makers who serve as a bridge between Japan and Africa, and these are
common declarations of conduct that they should follow in the various actions of our youth
activities. “Individual Plans and Ideas” is a list of social activities that the various youth
themselves are doing, or ideas they would like to try in the future. In that, it was aimed to
visualize youth’s diverse, innovative and revolutionary actions and ideas, and also suggest
how society can support them.
We, the youth, pledge to commit ourselves to the following actions in solidarity with other youth and with people of all generations and backgrounds. We strongly believe that
decision makers in Japan, African countries, and the world (politicians, governments,
business, civil society, international organizations, etc.) will follow our lead.
●We strongly believe in the power of youth and continue to speak out in society to protect their rights and enable them to participate in all social decision-making. We will act proactively as agents of change and conscious citizens to realize the Future We Want.
● We, As agents of change, recognize youth in Japan and African countries as
”co-creation partners,” deepen understanding of each other’s culture and society,
and take action together, with a sense of speed.
● We will have no tolerance against all forms of violence and discrimination, and insist on the realization of a society in which ”no one is left behind” for generations to come. It includes ensuring equal opportunities and chances for all, including
marginalized groups (women, people with disabilities, people living in rural areas,
ex-offenders and delinquents seeking rehabilitation, etc.) .
● We will mainstream sustainability into our activities to preserve our planet for future
generations.
● We will actively continue to learn new technologies and update knowledge.
● We will not be too afraid of failure and learn from successes and failures, and take the next action.
Roles and responsibilities of the Leading Organizations-ADNJ & AAYN moving forward into the action plan, monitoring and review of youth engagement in TICAD and beyond.
Review and Adaptation: Plans for periodic review and updates to the policy; action plan based on feedback and changing circumstances or TICAD processes.
