Seminar: NGOs as Strategic Partners in Development and Humanitarian Assistance

In recent decades, NGOs have played an increasingly critical role in humanitarian responses and development assistance. According to the OECD, the leading donor governments channel roughly US$17 billion in ODA through NGOs; plus, NGOs in rich countries raise another $30 billion on their own from private sources for humanitarian and development assistance. NGOs’ growing significance and the specialized capabilities that they bring to their work have convinced governments around the world that working with NGOs as “strategic partners” allows them to amplify their impact and operate more efficiently.

This seminar was part of a JCIE project on NGOs as Strategic Partners, conducted from 2015 to 2018, and it built on a recent report from JCIE that examined lessons for Japan from the US experience in developing its NGO sector. Participants examined what Japanese NGOs and government agencies can do to work together on ODA, drawing on the US experience of fostering strategic partnerships on development and humanitarian assistance to consider steps that can help government agencies and NGOs become true strategic partners.

AGENDA

Opening remarks

Akio Okawara, President, Japan Center for International Exchange

Keynote remarks

Hon. Anne Richard, former US Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration; Centennial Fellow, Georgetown University

Initial remarks

Masahiko Shibayama, Member, House of Representatives; former Special Advisor to the Prime Minister for National Security; Secretary General, Diet Caucus to Explore the Strategic Role of NGOs & NPOs

Lessons from the US experience

[Moderator] James Gannon, Executive Director, JCIE/USA

[Panelists] Hiroaki Ishii, Executive Director, Japan Association for Refugees
Yuko Shibata, General Manager, Emergency Response Division, Japan Platform
Hideki Wakabayashi, Secretary-General, Japan NGO Center for International Cooperation (JANIC)
[Comments by Diet Members, participants]

Strengthening the Role of NGOs in Overseas Development Assistance

[Moderator] Takeshi Komino, General Secretary, Church World Service Japan

[Panelists] Masaki Inaba, Executive Director, Japan Civil Society Network on SDGs; Director of Global Health, Africa-Japan Forum
Rika Yamamoto, Director, Program Department, Peace Winds Japan
Shigeru Ushio, Deputy Director-General, International Cooperation Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
[Commentator] Hon. Anne Richard, former US Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration; Centennial Fellow, Georgetown University

Next Steps

Hon. Keisuke Suzuki, Member, House of Representatives; Secretary, Diet Caucus to Explore the Strategic Role of NGOs & NPOs
Takeshi Komino, General Secretary, Church World Service Japan

Closing Remarks

Hiroshi Taniyama, Chair, Japan NGO Center for International Cooperation (JANIC)

Reception Remarks

Ichiro Aisawa, Member, House of Representatives; Chairman, Diet Caucus to Explore the Strategic Role of NGOs & NPOs

Diet-NGO Roundtable (2017)

This program was made possible through the generous support of the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership (CGP).

It was co-organized with the Japan Civil Society Network on SDGs, Japan NGO Center for International Cooperation (JANIC), and Japan Platform.

International Seminar: NGOs as Strategic Partners in Development and Humanitarian Assistance

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