In Search of New Approaches to Japanese Development Assistance The Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development (FASID) was established in April 1990. FASID and its affiliate, International Development Research Institute (IDRI), conduct research, facilitate interaction among researchers and practitioners, and offer train- ing programs to development specialists. These activities are aimed for improvement in the quality of development programs and policies. Copyright © 2006 by FASID Published in 2006 in Japan by the Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development, 1-6-17 Kudan-minami, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0074, Japan e-mail :
[email protected] URL : http://www,fasid.or.jp Foreword Naonobu Minato Acting Director, International Development Research Institute, Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development International development has entered a dynamic phase, as indicated by increases in funding at the onset of the 21st century following declines in the 1990’s. An important contributing factor to this has been accelerating eco- nomic, political and social globalization. Assistance to the most fragile states has also been prompted by terrorism concerns in major donor coun- tries. If development had ever been an issue to be treated in isolation, clear- ly that time is past. It has now become a process with a global context, glob- al consequences and global ramifications. Some donors have restructured their organizations to adjust to the chang- ing trends. Noticeable examples include the UK, which established the Department for International Development (DFID), the US, which estab- lished the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), and France, which established Agence Français de Development (AFD). The UN aid agency, UNDP, shifted its attention away from technical cooperation to the provi- sion of upstream political analysis and policy recommendations, and changes are also under consideration at the two Bretton Woods Institutions ― the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.