Tunisia on August 27 (BUS): African heads of state, representatives of international organizations and private business leaders gathered in Tunisia on Saturday for the Tokyo International Conference on African Development, a triennial event launched by Japan to promote growth and security in Africa.
The AP said the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and the food and climate crisis are among the challenges facing many African countries expected to define the two-day conference.
While 30 African heads of state and government attended the event in the Tunisian capital, Tunis, several key talks are being held remotely, including those involving Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who has tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the summit.
The Japanese government established and hosted the first TICAD Summit in 1993. The conferences are now jointly organized by the United Nations, the African Union and the World Bank. The summits resulted in 26 development projects in 20 African countries.
This year, increased Japanese investment in Africa is expected to be discussed, with a particular focus on supporting start-ups and food security initiatives. Japan said it plans to provide aid for rice production, along with pledging $130 million in food aid.
The Africa Center for Strategic Studies, an academic institution of the US Department of Defense, compared the conference format to the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, “where government, business and civil society leaders participate on an equal footing.”
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