Downtown Africa
(TAP) – The 8th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD8) will officially be held in Tunisia in 2022.
Tunisia is the 2nd African country to host this event after Kenya in 2016, Japan’s embassy to Tunisia announced on Thursday.
“Initiated by Japan’s government since 1993, this international conference aims to speed up political dialogues between African leaders and development partners on challenges facing the Continent. It is a multi-lateral forum that gathers Japan and African countries, international organisations, development partner countries, private enterprises and civil society organisations involved in the development of Africa,” the embassy pointed out.
Regarding TICAD 8, Japanese Ambassador in Tunis Shinsuke Shinizu had recently said that emphasis will be placed on the consolidation of private investment, specifying that a business forum will be held concurrently with government meetings.
An equal partnership between Japanese and Tunisian enterprises will be established with the ultimate objectives of developing the private sector and improving the business climate.
The health sector and post-COVID economic recovery for African countries is also on the agenda of TICAD 8.
The Embassy of Japan to Tunisia said that “Japan will continue through TICAD 8 to provide strong support for the development of Africa, the largest promising area of the 21st century, but which is also facing various challenges such as conflicts and poverty. COVID-19 has revealed the vulnerability of Africa, particularly in the medical and health sectors.”
During the upcoming conference, Tunisia would be the meeting point between Japan and the African Continent. “This is an excellent time to mark the beginning of the implementation of the sustainable development programme for 2030 and the 2063 agenda,” the Japanese embassy to Tunisia specified.
