Human Security and the Peace-Building Paradigm: A Japanese Experience and Perspective

Japan’s ODA Charter,1 revised in August 2003, clearly identified peace-building as an important new issue, of which human security was one of the basic principles. Japan’s Mid-Term Policy on ODA elaborated on these principles in February 2005.2 JICA,3 the ODA organization responsible for implementing grant-based assistance and promoting technical cooperation among international groups, has been leading the study of peace-building and human security since 1999 and has adopted seven different approaches to its projects.4 Japan’s development assistance emphasis is now shifting toward peace-building, though the specifics are still being discussed. This chapter aims to provide an overview of Japan’s recent experience with, and perspective on, this new development paradigm.