COUNTRY ASSISTANCE POLICY FOR THE REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA_OCTOBER 2014
1. Relevance of Assistance
While The Gambia has recorded an average economic growth rate of nearly 5 % in recent years, the country’s economic base is still fragile due to the fact that the agriculture, its major industry, can be influenced by uncertain factors like climate or international primary products market price, and most of the population is in severe poverty condition. The Gambia is ranked the 165th place out of 187 countries surveyed in 2012 on UNDP’s Human Development Index (HDI) Report (2013).
The medium and long-term development program “Vision 2020”, which is aimed at poverty reduction and improvement of livelihood condition of the population by 2020, has been settled and put into effect by the Government of The Gambia. With the 2012 to 2015 medium-term program “The Program for Accelerated Growth and Employment (PAGE)”, the Government is taking measures focusing on economic growth and promotion of employment. The growth of the agriculture sector is defined as particularly an important issue.
The Gambia is taking a part in the TICAD１ process, and a good bilateral relationship is maintained with Japan. There is an important significance for Japan to assist the Government of The Gambia, from the point of view of “human security”, which is a basic policy of Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) Charter, as well as its priority issues such as “poverty reduction” and “sustainable growth”.
With President Jammeh serving as the Head of State since 1994 by winning the presidential election of 2011 for the fourth time, the country’s peace is preserved by a stable run political power, but further democratization is desired.
2. Basic Policy of Assistance
Support food security and improvement of basic livelihood condition of the people, towards “sustainable growth” and “poverty reduction”.
3. Priority Areas
“Sustainable development and improvement of basic livelihood condition”
Japan will support sustainable development of rural community focusing on food security and technical cooperation in the field of agriculture and fishery. Management and maintenance of water facilities will be also supported in order to improve basic livelihood condition.
TICAD: Tokyo International Conference on African Development is a political forum on the development of Africa organized since 1993 with the Government of Japan as host country and co-hosted by the United Nations, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the World Bank and African Union Commission (AUC). Summit meetings are held every 3 years, as well as Ministerial-level meetings. In August 2016, TICAD Ⅵ, the 6th conference was held in Nairobi.
