TICAD 9 Yokohama Declaration

“Co-create innovative solutions with Africa”

　22^nd August 2025

1. Introduction

 

1. We, the Heads of State and Government and delegations of Japan and African Union Member States, together with representatives of Co-organizers, namely, the African Union Commission (AUC), the United Nations (UN), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the World Bank met in Yokohama, Japan, from 20^th to 22^nd August 2025, for the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9). We were pleased to welcome high-level representatives from regional organizations, international organizations, the private sector, civil society organizations of Japan, and legally and nationally registered civil society organizations of Africa, including women and youth, and environmental stakeholders from Japan and Africa.

 

1.2       Since 1993, TICAD has provided a unique multilateral platform for a broad range of stakeholders and has championed international cooperation under the guiding principles of African ownership, international partnership, and openness. TICAD provides a valuable forum for intellectual discourse that underpins the collaborative co-creation of innovative solutions across Africa, Japan and the international community. This platform has evolved in response to changing global and African priorities and has supported creativity and resilience across Africa to overcome the impacts of various crises, build resilience against crises like COVID-19, extreme weather events like cyclones, and address governance and security challenges in some parts of the continent.

 

 1.3     We acknowledge that TICAD 9 is broadly aligned to Africa’s development priorities, as articulated in the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 Second Ten Year Implementation Plan (STYIP) goals and priorities – “The Africa We Want”, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals. TICAD 9 is also positioned at the crossroads of global initiatives like the Pact for the Future, adopted at the UN General Assembly by the world leaders in September 2024, the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) and the G20 this year presided by South Africa. We intend to activate the Africa-Japan partnership by announcing concrete programs and initiatives. This alignment reinforces national efforts to achieve sustainable development, promote climate resilience, and secure long-term access to sustainable development.

 

1.4       Against this backdrop, we gather in Yokohama to co-create innovative and lasting solutions that will enable diverse and dynamic African countries to achieve structural transformation and address the current economic insecurity, human insecurity, inequality challenges, to accelerate the implementation of the Second Ten Year Implementation Plan of the AU Agenda 2063 for a peaceful, integrated, and prosperous Africa. We underscore the importance of ensuring that TICAD outcomes reflect a balanced integration of the shared vision and mutual interest of AU Member States and Japan in the spirit of equitable partnership.

 

2. Current Situation

 

2.1       The IMF’s April 2025 World Economic Outlook painted a gloomy picture of global economic prospects, noting that GDP growth is subdued, debt levels remain high, protectionism is slowing world trade, the world is becoming more unequal, and rising inflationary pressures threaten macroeconomic stability. Poverty in all forms and dimensions remains the greatest global challenge, particularly in Africa, and its eradication is an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. Furthermore, recent geo-strategic shifts signal a weakening of multilateralism and multilateral institutions. While Africa’s GDP growth forecasts for 2025 and 2026 are above global averages, they are still insufficient to address poverty, create decent jobs and service debt.  Although it possesses significant resources and avenues for growth, the continent remains particularly vulnerable to external shocks, and needs to foster and capitalize on creating enabling environments to promote innovation in all spheres to accelerate socio-economic transformation. There is significant room for the private sector to engage in Africa.

 

2.2       We commend the recent democratic progress achieved in several African countries. However, we remain deeply concerned about the persistent hotspots of tension and armed conflict, particularly due to acts of terrorism in various parts of the continent, which continue to trigger severe humanitarian crises. The instability undermines economic prospects, negatively impacts human development and depletes natural, physical and financial resources, increases perceived risks, and places a heavier burden on public finances. In response to these challenges, coordinated, gradual and context-specific actions are essential to reverse these dynamics and fully harness emerging opportunities.

 

2.3       With these challenges in mind, we acknowledge the urgent need to address existing and emerging challenges in an interrelated and holistic manner.  We recognize the continued relevance of the three pillars of TICAD --- economy, society, peace and stability – in establishing the preconditions for inclusive growth and sustainable development.  We also enhance cooperation based on the concept of human security in response to a wide range of social inadequacies in critical sectors such as health, education, and social security, compounded by various global challenges such as climate change, lack of energy, new digital technology including Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, disaster risk reduction, and human well-being.

 

2.4       Just as in 1993, TICAD can once again provide a platform to support inclusive growth and sustainable development in Africa by spearheading innovative solutions for Africa that reflect, and respond to, current and future global challenges. In this context, the theme for TICAD 9, “Co-create innovative solutions with Africa” speaks to the need for stronger and more strategic partnerships aimed at reinforcing operational and mutually beneficial dimensions of TICAD and that also fosters and develops homegrown and collaborative solutions with Africa.

 

2.5       While witnessing tremendous opportunities with a young population and abundant resources, we recognize multifaceted challenges for realizing sustainable economy and development, inclusive society, and lasting peace, security and stability. We also stress the importance of increasing access to technology, trade and investment, fostering economic diversification and value-addition, and investing in infrastructure, human capital and home-grown innovation, improving access to affordable finance for development and supporting African countries in economic governance and business environment. In this context, TICAD 9 aims to support public-private partnerships, empowerment of youth and women, regional integration and connectivity within and beyond the region as well as the need to build inclusive and responsible global governance that promotes a free, open and fair international order based on the principles of international law, where Africa is an effective global player and partner.

 

 

3        Three TICAD Pillars

 

          Economy

3.1.1    We note the fact that recent global and Africa’s GDP growth trends are insufficient to ensure the attainment of the Vision and Aspirations of Agenda 2063. Despite significant economic and fiscal reforms, we note with concern that the high cost of capital, largely due to weak credit ratings of some African countries, and the high cost of debt services are exacerbating vulnerabilities and diverting Africa’s resources away from financing development. We call upon credit rating agencies to refine their methodologies, while respecting their independence, to account for investments, lengthen time horizons for credit analysis, publish long-term ratings based on scenario analysis, and positively reflect the long-term debt sustainability benefits of voluntary debt restructurings and treatments. We stress that increasing trade protectionism is limiting Africa’s access to global markets and restricting the proportion of global value chains that benefit the continent. We will take action to address the high debt premium of borrowing countries, especially in Africa, that pay significantly higher interest rates compared to their peers despite similar risk ratings. Actions will include, but are not limited to, capacity-building to enable them to engage effectively with financial market actors, including credit rating agencies. Furthermore, we welcome the establishment of the African Credit Rating Agency (AfCRA) and look forward to its full operationalization. We also note the imperative need to harness Africa’s demographic dividend through investment in people and promotion of decent work, especially for Africa’s youthful population through youth apprenticeship and tax incentives for firms employing youth in the AI/data sectors.

We endeavor to accelerate Africa’s regional economic integration and foster an enabling business environment to strengthen the role of the private sector as an engine of productive transformation to boost intra-Africa trade. We aim to accelerate efforts to develop value-chains addition in Africa and integrate African countries into global supply chains through a free, open, and fair trade and investment environment, so as to be able to secure a fair share in the growth of world trade and investment commensurate with the needs of their economic development. Recognizing global supply chain shifts, we will encourage Japan’s investment in the manufacturing industry in Africa, with pilot economic zones to support electronics, green tech, and automotive industries. We commit to accelerating efforts for master planning with the objective of developing special economic zones and industrial zones to develop industrial value-chains. We endeavor to support Africa to export value-added goods to Japan, through initiatives such as agro-industrial zones, export certification hubs, and buyer-supplier networks. Building on the accomplishments of the Eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 8), we will continue to promote regional integration and connectivity through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). We also stress the importance of connectivity with other regions such as the Indo-Pacific region. We take good note of the initiative of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific as announced by Japan at TICAD VI in Nairobi, Kenya. We acknowledge Japan’s contribution in the past years to enhance connectivity, resilient institutions and human resources development in Africa. The strategic significance of Africa continues to grow, driven by the continent’s remarkable demographic expansion and dynamic market potential. We reaffirm the steadfast partnership between Japan and African nations as we jointly seek to deepen economic engagement that delivers tangible benefits to our peoples and contributes to the objectives set forth in Agenda 2063. To ensure mutual benefit, we hope that Japanese investments will align with various projects of AfCFTA and support the development of regional value chains.

 

3.1.2    We recognize the importance of co-creating an enabling environment to drive the digital transformation of Africa and stress the need for effective and responsible governance and utilization of digital and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), as well as the need for technology transfer on mutually agreed terms, capacity and institution building. We also recognize the importance of ethical and responsible utilization of data as a foundational element of digital transformation, including facilitating cross border data flows based on regional frameworks such as the AU Data Policy Framework and Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT), while making data available to drive innovation and ensuring protection of privacy and human rights in the digital space. We reaffirm that effective and responsible utilization of digital technology, including AI, satellite data, and clean energy as well as the adoption of good practices could facilitate the co-creation of innovative solutions to the challenges facing Africa and the world. Increased collaboration with the private sector is essential for catalyzing transformative and sustainable solutions. We also highlight that it is essential to build inclusive AI governance that enables innovation and promotes human-centric, safe, secure and trustworthy AI so that the benefits of AI can be enjoyed by all. We will continue to work together to enhance capacity and institution building, as well as AI governance and support our efforts toward the enhancement of such AI governance, including through G20’s AI for Africa, Global Digital Compact and AU’s Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy. We note Japan’s commitment to making greater contributions to AI development including through the Hiroshima AI Process and encourage further participation by African countries. We encourage expanded cooperation in digital infrastructure and innovation ecosystems to accelerate Africa’s digital transformation. Japan’s expertise in robotics, AI, and smart cities can play a pivotal role in building resilient African economies. We encourage joint Africa-Japan initiatives to support AI development including the promotion of hubs for innovation to nurture startups, promote digital skills, and facilitate technology transfer on mutually agreed terms, across the continent. In this respect, we also recognize the importance of supporting the establishment of AI Centers of Excellence to promote domestic AI innovation and enable the development of home-grown AI solutions as well as existing ones.

 

3.1.3    We recognize the critical role of efficient transport and logistics infrastructure in unlocking Africa’s trade potential, we commit to accelerating investments in sustainable and resilient infrastructure networks across road, rail, maritime, and aviation modes of transport. To address the connectivity challenges, we recognize the need to improve transport infrastructures and services as key enablers for socio-economic development, enabling the improvement of trade and business and creating easy access to markets. In this regard, we underline the importance of supporting key initiatives that will improve intra-Africa transport connectivity, including the full operationalization of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM). We also recognize the importance of air transport connectivity between Africa and Japan and stronger air connectivity, as well as enhanced cooperation and strategic partnerships in the future, the implementation of the African Integrated Railway Network (AIRN), establishment of multimodal and smart corridors, accelerating the implementation of the Trans-African Highway links and work to support improvement of ports and shipping industry.

We underscored the need to partner in building sustainable and smart cities with adequate urban mobility solutions that respond to the rapid urbanization and resilience building, which supports an inclusive transport system. We therefore encourage innovative solutions in the transport sector, including public and non-motorized systems.

We reaffirm our commitment to continuing to support the implementation of the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) as a key initiative of Africa to address the infrastructure gaps in the continent. We concur in continuing to provide support towards PIDA project preparation and financing, and by building local capacities to implement and sustain its transformative priority projects.

 

3.1.4   We welcome initiatives to strengthen mutually beneficial public-private partnerships, such as the Japan Business Council for Africa (JBCA) and the Japan-Africa Infrastructure Development Association (JAIDA). We encourage productive partnerships between Japan and Africa to promote investment, support innovation from the private sector through deeper collaboration between Japanese and African companies, and facilitate technology cooperation. We would endeavor to facilitate Japanese and African SMEs’ investment and mitigate entry risks into each other’s market. Additionally, we note that strengthening industrial human resources development will accelerate structural transformation for inclusive growth and sustainable development in Africa and support continental efforts in achieving the AU’s Agenda 2063 and the SDGs. We underscore the need for co-creating an open, reliable, and resilient industrial innovation and start-up eco-systems that can sustainably attract and manage domestic and external resources to realize economic prosperity and social well-being for Africa and Japan. In this respect, experience and knowledge-sharing programs should be encouraged. We welcome the multifaceted cooperation taking place between Africa and Japan through Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan.

 

3.1.5   We aim to end hunger and eliminate food insecurity and all forms of malnutrition. We reaffirm our commitment to transforming Africa’s agri-food systems in line with the 2025 Kampala Declaration on the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and its Action Plan 2026–2035, aiming for sustainable and resilient food systems for a healthy and prosperous Africa. Recognizing the centrality of agriculture to Africa’s development, and the persistent challenges of low productivity, low fertilizer application, climate vulnerability, soil degradation and underdeveloped value chains, we underscore the need for deepened Africa–Japan cooperation. This includes scaling climate-smart agricultural technologies such as modern irrigation systems, drought- and saline-tolerant crop varieties, adaptive research for climate resilience, supporting agro-processing, value addition, and compliance with quality standards to expand intra-Africa trade and boost export competitiveness, as well as investing in efficient, equitable, and sustainable food value chains that link producers to markets, enhance rural incomes, and create jobs, particularly for youth and women. We further emphasize the importance of strengthening human capital through targeted training of farmers, agricultural extension workers, and African professionals in advanced farming, desert reclamation, and early warning systems, enhanced infrastructure, logistics, and institutional capacity are also critical to unlocking the potential of strategic agro-ecological zones and promoting intra-African trade. In this regard, we take good note of Japan’s dedication to support the World Bank’s activities for food and nutrition security in Africa. We emphasize the importance of the sustainable blue economy in harnessing the full economic potential of the oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, and other water resources in accelerating economic growth and placing people at the center of sustainable development. We underscore the importance of promoting public-private partnerships and investment in the creation of the blue economy value chains.

 

3.1.6    We recognize the importance of an increased public and private flow of capital from Japan to Africa and reaffirm the importance of official development assistance (ODA) as a key component of international development cooperation in helping African countries to achieve Agenda 2063 and sustainable development goals. We will also explore opportunities to mobilize additional finance, both public and private, through official development assistance-funded activities that are responsive to country needs and focused on long-term development and poverty eradication, while ensuring that additional private finance mobilized is not a substitute for existing commitments, thereby contributing to the realization of Africa’s overall developmental objectives. We note efforts made by African countries to enhance domestic resource mobilization and the fight against illicit financial flows for development financing. Lack of adequate, predictable, flexible and sustainable development financing, however, continues to constrain Africa’s development progress.  Building on the Declaration of the African Union Conference on Debt, we note with deep concern the significant increase in Africa’s total debt stocks over the past decade, with external debt reaching approximately 24.5% of combined GDP in 2023, and alarmingly higher ratios in many individual countries. We recognize that this has led to a surge in the number of African countries in or at high risk of debt distress. Drivers include external shocks, rising global interest rates, and the changing composition of debt. We call on the G20 and Paris Club creditors to step up the coordinated implementation of the Common Framework for Debt Treatments, in a timely, orderly, and coordinated manner in addressing the continent’s debt vulnerabilities. We also reiterate the need for strengthening debt management capacity and enhancing debt transparency in this regard. We noted the adoption of the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI) by the UN General Assembly Resolution 78/322 of 13 August 2024. We encourage the use of MVI as a complementary tool for assessing Africa’s legibility for development cooperation and financial support. We stress the importance of sound development finance adhering to international rules and standards, such as macroeconomic stability, as the basis for sustainable economic development. We urge all major creditors, including private lenders to adopt and follow fair and open lending practices, and to consider the specificities of all African countries with access to development finances. We welcome innovative initiatives to boost development finance, including initiatives to facilitate Africa’s access to sustainable financing.  We emphasize the need to engage with credit rating agencies and enhance the capacity of African countries for data collection and management of credit rating procedures, to address obstacles to investing in Africa’s sustainable development. We recognize the crucial role of the International Development Association (IDA) in reducing poverty and promoting economic growth in low-income countries. We welcome the successful outcome of the replenishment of IDA21, where Japan demonstrated its unwavering commitment to Africa’s development. We look forward to a robust and successful replenishment of the African Development Fund, as well as the 8th Replenishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. We underscore the newly expanded scheme of JICA that will facilitate a catalytic role of ODA for more resources mobilization and investment opportunities in Africa and beyond, including those by the Japanese private sector in Africa. We also welcome the upgraded Enhanced Private Sector Assistance for Africa (EPSA) - a joint resource mobilization initiative between the African Development Bank and Japan. We also welcome the establishment of Special Transition Allocation for Africa’s Resilience (STAR) in Japan-EBRD Cooperation Fund to support the African private sector through technical assistance. In this regard, we commend ongoing reform efforts of the international financial architecture and recognize the importance to further cooperate on the reform in order to ensure that the international financial architecture becomes fit for the world of today and responsive to the challenges faced by developing countries, in particular the African countries. We further emphasize the urgent need for sustainable access to concessional finance for African countries, particularly in light of rising borrowing costs and tightening global financial conditions.

 

3.1.7      Africa is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change despite contributing the least to global greenhouse gas emissions. Climate finance plays a crucial role in helping African countries adapt, mitigate, and transition to low-carbon, climate-resilient development. In this regard, we recognize African initiatives to finance climate action, including the Africa Adaptation Initiative (AAI), the Initiative for Adaptation of African Agriculture (AAA), and the Commissions on the Sahel, Congo Basin, and African Island States (AIS). We call for global action to tackle climate change and its impacts on Africa, through availability and access to climate finance for adaptation including the operationalization of the fund responding to loss and damage. In this regard, we appreciate Japan’s support to African countries for climate-resilient and low-carbon emissions development. We welcome and support the convening of the Second Africa Climate Summit to be hosted by the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, from 8-10 September 2025, in Addis Ababa, to advance Africa’s climate agenda and sustainable development priorities and showcase Africa’s leadership in providing global climate solutions.

 

3.1.8    We acknowledge the importance of taking various energy transition pathways in line with different national circumstances in pursuing net zero/carbon-neutrality, and highlight the importance of addressing economic growth, energy security and decarbonization simultaneously. We reaffirm that quality infrastructure, that guarantees affordability with respect to life-cycle costs, is fundamental for sustainable economic transformation. We underscore the importance of securing investments in renewable energy projects at a national and regional scale, leveraging Africa's vast solar, wind, and hydro potential to create integrated power grids like the African Single Electricity Market (AfSEM) and the Continental Power System Master Plan (CMP). We acknowledge initiatives like the joint World Bank Group/African Development Bank Mission 300 aiming to provide electricity access to 300 million people in Africa by 2030, through the implementation of the Dar es Salaam Declaration made by the African Heads of State during the Energy Summit 2025. Furthermore, given the global demands for critical minerals, we advocate for a fair and equitable partnership that supports local processing and value addition of these resources within Africa, ensuring that the benefits accrue to African economies and contribute to industrialization, involving technology transfer on mutually agreed terms and joint ventures with Japanese companies. We underscore the importance of collaboration between Japan and Africa on clean energy technology and continue to call for a doubling of finance that is affordable, scalable, and predictable, that addresses the devastating impact of climate change and builds the resilience of vulnerable communities, especially those on the frontlines of the climate crisis. We recognize the importance of accelerating Africa’s just and fair energy transition, supporting structural change towards low-emission, inclusive, and sustainable energy systems that meet Africa’s growing energy demand while advancing global climate objectives. We also stress the importance of stable supply and responsible development of critical mineral resources as well as local value addition, including through the World Bank Group-led Resilient and Inclusive Supply-Chain Enhancement (RISE) partnership.

 

3.1.9   We reaffirm the importance of the rules-based and open multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core and the need for its swift reform and will cooperate toward the success of 14^th WTO Ministerial Conference in Cameroon. In implementing the AfCFTA, we welcome efforts and initiatives aimed at value addition, beneficiation to natural and mineral resources and strengthening regional value chains, to promote industrialization and job creation. As a premise of these efforts and initiatives, trade facilitation, especially simplified and harmonized customs procedures, is essential in developing and promoting intra-Africa trade. We recognize that enhanced trade and increased investments between Africa, Japan, and the rest of the world, both traditional and high end would contribute greatly in this regard. We also recognize the critical role of public financial institutions such as Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) in promoting private sector collaboration between Japan and Africa and the importance of collaborating with third countries to facilitate business opportunities and enhance trade and investment relations. We also recognize the importance of attracting investment from the private sector and sharing innovative solutions, knowledge, and technology within Africa. In this regard, we are committed to co-creating and promoting a conducive business environment and accelerate inclusive industrialization. We recognize the importance of the WTO moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions for member countries, and underscore the need for expanding digital trade between Africa and Japan through training programs for African SMEs in e-commerce standards and integration with Japan’s digital retail platforms.

 

 

 

          Society

3.2.1　We note steady progress in Africa’s health and education sectors, but note that they stagnated after the COVID-19 pandemic and millions are still being left behind. This problem will be exacerbated following the shifts in development financing resulting from recent geo-strategic realignment. Social and gender disparities undermine inclusive development and social cohesion. TICAD is championing efforts to expand access to high-quality, human-centered health, education, and essential social services, with a particular focus on empowering youth, women and persons with disabilities. These initiatives are critical for addressing widening inequalities, bridging service gaps, and ensuring that Africa’s transformation benefits all segments of society.

 

3.2.2　We support social development in Africa by strengthening health systems, including pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, through the One-Stop-Shop Approach to reduce fragmentation and improve efficiency. We will enhance governance and accountability for transparent and effective health investments, in line with the AU Roadmap to 2030 and beyond. We promote public health workforce development, access to quality care, and local production of health commodities through the Platform for Harmonized African Health Manufacturing (PHAHM) platform, the AU Local Manufacturing Initiative, and fully operationalize the Africa Medicines Agency (AMA) to improve access to safe, effective products. We will advance universal health coverage (UHC) and primary health care via the UHC Knowledge Hub and digital transformation, in coordination with the Africa Health and Wellbeing Initiative (AfHWIN), Africa’s Digital Transformation Strategy, and Japan’s Global Health Strategy. We affirm the importance of health, water, sanitation, hygiene, and nutrition for human capital and UHC. In light of declining global ODA to Africa’s health systems, we support the Africa CDC’s “Africa’s Health Financing in the New Era” strategy and promote private sector and impact investment to boost domestic and sustainable health financing. We remain committed to addressing major diseases, including communicable and non-communicable diseases, as well as improving reproductive, maternal, neonatal, and child health, and strengthening the Japan–Africa health partnership.

 

3.2.3    We also support strengthening access to quality education for all. We highly appreciate Japan’s valuable contribution in promoting educational opportunities and human resources development in Africa and welcomes its continuation. We also underline the need for increased capacity through collaborating with key partners, including UN agencies and other leading organizations to broaden access to inclusive and equitable quality education, training and skills development in Africa. We further underscore the importance of promoting international knowledge exchange, science and technology diplomacy, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and academic collaboration in research and innovation, especially targeting support towards socially vulnerable groups. In this context, we recognize the important role that education plays in fostering deeper people-to-people ties and enabling cooperation between civil society in Japan and Africa. Such engagement is essential for building resilient, inclusive, and sustainable societies.

 

3.2.4    We highlight the importance of mutual exchanges between African and Japanese youth to promote creativity and sustainable socio-economic change and recognize the importance of affording more opportunities for African youth to develop their potential, and to partner more directly with Japanese youth with a view to co-creating transformative solutions.  Japan’s support for youth entrepreneurship, through programs such as the African Business Education Initiative for Youth (ABE initiative) and timbuktoo initiative as well as promotion of creative industry, is positioning Africa’s dynamic youth as future economic engines. In this regard, we endeavor to support the youth-led startups in Africa, including through Japan-Africa innovation hubs. We also welcome the newly implemented Africa Youth Program 2025 to promote mutual understanding between Japan and Africa in various fields, including through cultural exchange programs. We recognize the pivotal role of universities in strengthening cross-cultural understanding, advancing human capital development, and driving innovation. In this regard, we encourage an increase in academic exchange programs, joint research initiatives, and institutional collaboration between Japanese and African universities, including the Pan African University network, as well as cultural exchanges in the field of arts and Japanese language. We recognize the positive contribution of safe, orderly, and regular migration and mobility to sustainable development.  In this regard, we recognize the important role played by the African Union and its specialized institutions, including the African Migration Observatory, the Continental Operational Centre in Sudan for Combatting Irregular Migration, to improve global migration governance and within Africa.

　　　

3.2.5    African countries are increasingly experiencing natural disasters due to droughts, floods, tropical cyclones, and seismic risks. We welcome Japan’s contribution and leadership in the areas of disaster risk reduction and reaffirm the critical role of risk-informed  development to reduce disaster risk and the importance to “Build Back Better” in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction according to the 4^th Priority of the Program of Action for the Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015 - 2030 in Africa, and Japan-led DRR solutions that utilize satellite data that allow us to use data collected and analyzed in order to enhance the water-related disaster resilience in Africa. We emphasize the urgency of reducing marine pollution, promoting biodiversity conservation, and implementing effective waste management, including through the newly established fund for promoting the development of waste management infrastructure with international donors under the African Clean Cities Platform (ACCP) in order to protect Africa’s natural ecosystems and advance the continent’s sustainable development and environmental security. We stress the importance of supporting the Continental Civilian Capacity for Disaster Preparedness and Response and the full operationalization of the African Humanitarian Agency in order to strengthen Africa-led humanitarian coordination, and enhance the continent’s ability to predict, prepare for, and respond effectively to crises caused by both man-made and natural disasters. The African side encourages Japan and the other TICAD co-organizers to support the AU Humanitarian program through the African Humanitarian Agency and we look forward to working together to achieve this goal.

 

3.2.6　Africa is the custodian of a cultural inheritance that has contributed enormously to human development, and its cultural identity, values and ethics are critical factors in Africa’s global re-emergence. We welcome the deepening of Japan’s tangible cooperation in the area of culture to preserve and protect World Heritage sites in African countries by extending capacity building, helping with inscription, and reaffirming the importance of continuing to strengthen the cooperation.

 

          Peace and Stability

3.3.1   We recognize the importance of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and the African Governance Architecture (AGA) in addressing governance, peace and security challenges in Africa, and take note of the various peace and security challenges affecting the African continent and the world. We join efforts to further promote the rule of law both at the national and international levels, and respect and promote compliance with international law, including international human rights law and international humanitarian law.  We reaffirm the importance of fostering human security, particularly through human-centered and participatory approaches to development that empower individuals and communities. TICAD continues to work to support peace efforts and address conflict, terrorism, and violent extremism on the continent. Japan’s assistance to peace operations in Africa, particularly, Somalia, through the AU Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), and support for Africa’s PKO training centers are examples of this. The AU Member States appreciate Japan’s contribution to AUSSOM and encourage the Government of Japan to increase its level of support to AUSSOM, building on Japan’s longstanding investment in achieving peace and security in Somalia, and the wider Horn of Africa region. In this regard, we recognize the funding gap in AUSSOM’s budget and reaffirm the importance of bridging this gap. We underline that Article 24 of the Charter of the United Nations accords the UN Security Council as the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. In this regard, we stress the need to implement the UN Security Council Resolution 2719 (2023) to ensure predictable, sustainable and adequate financing of AU-led Peace Support Operations, including AUSSOM.

 

3.3.2    We express deep concern over the detrimental impact of foreign interference and the proliferation of proxy conflicts on peace and stability in Africa. We firmly reiterate the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states and emphasize the necessity of African-led solutions to conflicts, supported by international partners in a manner that respects national ownership and sovereignty. We reaffirm the urgent need to prioritize conflict prevention, while also working to ensure durable solutions to conflicts and crises by tackling the root causes and structural drivers of persistent and recurring unrest including through adopting comprehensive and multidimensional whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches, that incorporate and strengthen coherence between political, security, investment, growth and development activities in support of governance, sustainable economic growth, and poverty eradication in Africa especially among the women and the youth.

                        We also commit to tackling other threats including in cyber security, maritime security (e.g. maritime piracy), terrorism and violent extremism, transnational organized crime (e.g. trafficking in persons, drug trafficking, and its profound political dimensions and devastating impact on public health and the well-being of our youth, illicit trade in small arms, cyber-crime and online fraud), illicit financial flows and corruption through strengthening governance and capacity building support for law enforcement agencies. We therefore reiterate our unwavering support for the African Union’s commendable efforts in combatting this scourge, particularly through initiatives like the AU Plan of Action on Drug Control and Crime Prevention (2019 – 2025), and commit to strengthening our collaborative actions to dismantle drug networks and protect our communities. We commend the vital roles of the African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation (AFRIPOL) and the African Union Counter Terrorism Center (AUCTC) for their contributions to strengthening the continent’s capacity to combat escalating threats posed by terrorism and transnational organized crimes across Africa.

                        We call for a holistic, cross-sectoral strategy that integrates conflict prevention, crisis response, and peacebuilding that fosters closer multistakeholder collaboration within the framework of the Peace-Security-Development Nexus and the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus. This approach is essential for building resilient societies, safeguarding human security, and promoting sustainable, inclusive development across the continent.

                        We express concern over the prevailing dire humanitarian situation across parts of the African Continent, and note the dwindling financial support towards humanitarian action in Africa which is having a negative effect on the provision of support to those most in need. We emphasize the need for global solidarity on humanitarian response as key to sustainable humanitarian support; in this regard, we commit to working towards mobilizing international partners to support the humanitarian efforts of AU Member States through the provision of predictable, adequate, sustainable and flexible funding for humanitarian action in Africa especially for Member States hosting large numbers of refugees, IDPs and Asylum seekers, in the spirit of equitable burden and responsibility sharing to enable host countries and communities to respond to their humanitarian and development needs more effectively. We stress the importance of international efforts to provide protection and offer assistance to those holding refugee status and forcibly displaced persons, address the root causes of irregular migration and uphold the dignity, safety and human rights of all migrants, irrespective of status, in line with international law.

                        We highly commend the critical role played by the AU Peace and Security Council in addressing conflict situations on the continent and the deployment of conflict prevention efforts, which include shuttle diplomacy and mediation with a view to defusing violent conflict situations from occurring on the continent. We commit to continue to support the efforts of the AU Peace and Security Council.

 

3.3.3    We express our serious concerns that illicit financial flows and all kinds of financial theft, including cryptocurrency thefts by malicious cyber actors have reached unprecedented levels. To address this crucial issue, we note the need to strengthen international cooperation and support, strengthening countermeasures. These illicit activities pose a significant threat to global financial stability and security, necessitating urgent and coordinated international action. We further welcome and endorse the non-binding Guiding Principles on preventing, detecting and disrupting the use of new and emerging financial technologies for terrorist purposes as adopted by the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee in January 2025, referred to as Algerian Guiding Principles.  We call for coordinated and comprehensive measures to deter, detect, and respond to the evolving threats posed by cryptocurrency-related crimes.

 

3.3.4    To address the root causes of conflicts, we emphasize the need to strengthen the self-reliance and resilience of communities and their collaboration with governments based on mutual trust and service delivery. We call for a holistic, cross-sectoral strategy that integrates conflict prevention, crisis response, and peacebuilding that fosters closer multistakeholder collaboration within the framework of the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus. We value the contribution of the AU Post Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) Centre, and encourage the Government of Japan to enhance its cooperation with the center in fulfilling its mandate to address the root causes of conflict in Africa and to contribute to peacebuilding efforts. Japan’s extensive experience in peacebuilding, institutional reform, and post-conflict reconstruction offers valuable models and technical expertise that can be adapted to African contexts.

 

3.3.5    We reaffirm that good governance, democracy, and the rule of law are foundational pillars for Africa’s sustainable development, peace, and stability. In this context, we remain committed to supporting African-led initiatives that uphold democratic principles, including the conduct of inclusive, credible, and transparent elections, as well as efforts aimed at institutional strengthening and capacity building. We recognize the strategic importance of the AGA as a continental framework for promoting democratic governance, and we commend the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) for its pivotal role in advancing accountability, transparency, and citizen participation across Member States.

 

 3.3.6   We also commit to promoting the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda, and protection of children in conflict situations, and emphasize the invaluable role played by women and youth in seeking and maintaining peace as well as in responding to humanitarian emergencies across Africa. In this regard, we welcome Japan’s efforts in leading the WPS Focal Points Network, which numerous African countries and AU are members of, as a co-chair in the 25^th anniversary year of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and in implementing the “Women's Peace Human Resource Development Initiative in the Horn of Africa” based at the Intergovernmental Development Organization (IGAD), as well as promoting our collaboration through the Network as well as in other multilateral forums. We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to ensuring the protection of children in situations of armed conflict. We commend the significant efforts by the African Union, and other stakeholders, including the African Platform on Children Affected by Armed Conflict (AP-CAAC) in supporting the welfare of children in conflict situations. We emphasize the need for enhanced resource mobilization efforts to ensure sustainable resourcing of child protection efforts. We underscore the need to effectively implement long-term, inclusive, and trauma-sensitive reintegration programs that are also gender-sensitive, community-based, and tailored to the specific needs of both boys and girls, particularly, the survivors of sexual violence, with a view to facilitating the recovery and psycho-social well-being of children affected by conflict.

 

3.3.7   We stress the high priority we attach to multilateralism and international legitimacy. We also recognize the increasing momentum on UN Security Council (UNSC) reform. We welcome that the Pact for the Future emphasized the urgent need for reforming the Security Council. We reiterate that the reform of the Security Council should be addressed in a comprehensive, transparent and balanced manner, addressing all the five key issues including the question of the veto, and should garner the widest possible political acceptance by Member States through the intergovernmental negotiations that are fully owned and led by Member States, as stipulated in the UN General Assembly Decision 62/557. We call for improvements to the UNSC's working methods to enhance its efficiency, transparency, inclusiveness and accountability in line with the principles of the UN Charter. We acknowledge the need to redress the historical injustice against Africa with regard to its representation in the Security Council, and reaffirm support for full African representation in the Security Council, through not less than two Permanent seats with all the prerogatives and privileges of Permanent membership including the right of veto, and five Non-permanent seats, in line with the African Common Position as enshrined in Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration, and with this in mind, we are determined to cooperate to achieve the reform of the Council. Japan and African states will continue to communicate and cooperate closely at the United Nations, in such areas as peacebuilding.

 

3.3.8    We reaffirm our commitment to realizing a world without nuclear weapons, recognizing the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of the use of nuclear weapons, on the occasion of the 80^th year since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Looking ahead to the 2026 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), we reiterate our commitment to meaningful outcomes towards achieving nuclear disarmament and the universality of the treaty as the cornerstone of the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime and as an essential foundation for the pursuit of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Acknowledging the expanding needs of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy in African countries, we stress the central role of the International Atomic Energy Agency in this regard, by continuing to verify the implementation of Safeguards agreements by States parties to the NPT, while facilitating the provision of technical assistance and international cooperation. We also reaffirm the necessity of maintaining an effective and transparent export controls in supporting global non-proliferation objectives, while recognizing and upholding the inalienable right of all the Parties to the NPT to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination and in conformity with Articles I and II of this Treaty.  Furthermore, we reiterate the importance of the prevention and eradication of illicit trade of small arms and light weapons. In light of the growing demand for peaceful nuclear applications, we emphasize the critical importance of upholding the highest standards of nuclear safety and security and ensuring measures to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons, including full compliance with IAEA safeguards.  

 

3.3.9    We emphasize the importance of promoting regional and international efforts related to maritime security, including the fight against illegal exploitation of natural marine resources, piracy and armed robbery, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and other maritime crimes, and maintaining a maritime order based on International Law in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). We reaffirm our determination to work with African countries to combat IUU fishing, a multifaceted problem which undermines not only maritime security but also sustainable development and stability of local economies.

 

4        Next Steps

 

4.1       We are committed to continuously improving and reviewing TICAD to better align with the rapidly changing African development priorities. We appreciate the steady implementation of various initiatives and actions in line with the TICAD 8 Tunis Declaration, and we are committed to prioritizing and implementing in an inclusive manner, the initiatives and actions articulated during TICAD 9. We reaffirm that these initiatives and actions will be fully aligned with African and global development frameworks, including the AU’s Agenda 2063, and the 2030 SDGs. The Co-organizers committed to meeting and discussing how to operationalize the TICAD monitoring and evaluation mechanism.

 

4.2       We intend to convene TICAD 10 in Africa, with a series of TICAD-related meetings that will be held in the lead-up to the Summit.

 

4.3       We express our deep gratitude to His Excellency Ishiba Shigeru, Prime Minister of Japan, for hosting TICAD 9. We also extend our sincere appreciation to the Government and people of Japan, especially the Yokohama City and its people, for the warm welcome and generous hospitality extended to all delegates, participants and visitors.