Arab News Japan

TOKYO: The government of Japan will hold a TICAD Ministerial Meeting in Tokyo on August 24 and 25, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) confirmed on Tuesday.

The meeting is aimed at holding discussions in preparation for TICAD 9, which will take place from August 20 to 22, 2025, in Yokohama.

Around the Ministerial Meeting, Japanese Foreign Minister KAMIKAWA Yoko will hold bilateral and other meetings with ministers from African countries to look for ways of strengthening relationships between Japan and African countries.

The TICAD Ministerial Meeting will feature thematic events on various topics such as youth inclusiveness, education, and health.

In addition to delegations from African countries, those participating include international organizations, African regional organizations, the United Nations, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the World Bank and the African Union Commission.

Topics to be covered by the Ministerial Meeting include a panel discussion on innovation in Africa and two health-related events that will discuss the use of Japanese companies’ innovation for achieving Universal Health Coverage and global health financing.

The Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) is an international conference led by Japan to discuss the development of Africa. Since TICAD I in 1993, TICAD was initially held every five years until TICAD V, which was held in 2013. In 2016, TICAD VI was held in Africa (Nairobi, Kenya) for the first time, and since then, TICAD has been held every three years.

One issue that appears to be unresolved is the participation of Polisario members in TICAD. A high ranking TICAD-related MOFA official declined to confirm to Arab News Japan whether Polisario representatives would participate or be invited.

“We are working towards taking the appropriate decision on that,” the official said. “We will do what is appropriate, but please understand that Japan doesn’t have diplomatic relations with Western Sahara,”