• Co-Organizers
  • Government of Japan
  • United Nations (OSAA)
  • UNDP
  • World Bank
• The Yokohama Declaration
  • 1.0 Introduction
  • 2.0 Recent Trends and Challenges
  • 3.0 Boosting Economic Growth
  • 4.0 Achieving the MDGs
  • 5.0 Consolidation of Peace and Good Governance
  • 6.0 Addressing Environmental Issues and Climate Change
  • 7.0 A Broadened Partnership
  • 8.0 The Way Forward
• The Yokohama Action Plan
• Follow-up Mechanism
• Chair's Summary
• Japan's Initiatives
• The road to Yokohama 2008

4.0 Achieving the Millennium Development Goals - MDGs:
Economic and Social Dimension of "Human Security"

4.1 The Participants at TICAD IV noted that more vigorous impetus is necessary to attain the Millennium Development Goals by the year 2015. They acknowledged the inter-relatedness of the MDG's and the urgent need to promote a more fully-comprehensive approach towards their general attainment.

4.2 The Participants welcomed TICAD IV's focus upon and promotion of the concept of "human security", which underscores freedom from fear and freedom from want, and emphasizes the protection and empowerment of individuals and communities.

4.3 Community Development: Building Safe and Healthy Communities

• The Participants acknowledged that strengthening a comprehensive and community-based approach would help in achieving the MDGs. This approach encompasses human resource development, decent job-creation, in particular for the youth, income generation, expansion of access to primary health-care and basic education, as well as agricultural and rural development, including through promotion of the One-Village-One-Product (OVOP) movement.

4.4 Education: Realizing Education which opens up a New Future

• The Participants stressed the fundamental need to improve the quality of and expanding access to education for all African people, with special emphasis on youth, and to promote education linked to growth and self-sustainability, including technical and vocational training, science and higher education, while ensuring a cross-sectoral approach.

4.5 Health: Ensuring Reliable Health and Sanitation

• In addition to tackling HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, polio and other infectious diseases, the Participants acknowledged the significance of strengthening health systems to effectively deal with major health challenges including maternal, new-born, and child health. The Participants highlighted the importance of human resource development of health workers and expressed concern regarding the brain-drain of skilled health professionals.
• The Participants warmly welcomed the creation of the Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize, the first ever of its kind.

4.6 Gender: Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment

Recognizing the significant role of women in development and peace consolidation, the Participants at TICAD IV reemphasized the importance of advancing and protecting the human rights of women and promoting women's empowerment. They stressed the need to address issues such as disparity in education, violence against women, and insufficient participation of women in all spheres of decision making, while taking into account the cultural specificities of different countries.