Sustainable Development Goals and Japan's Official Development Assistance Policy: Human Security, National Interest, and a More Proactive Contribution to Peace

Abstract

Substantial progress toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) was made, but unsolved issues remain. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) succeeded the MDGs in 2015. In Japan the concept of “Human Security” has been incorporated into its foreign policy since the 1990s and is explicitly stated as the basic concept of Japan's Development Cooperation Charter issued in 2015. Also included in the Charter is Japan's “Proactive Contribution to Peace” policy and national interest, both of which are closely related to the concept of Human Security.Although not specifically identified in the SDGs, Human Security was described by the UN General Assembly as “the right of people to live in freedom and dignity, free from poverty and despair” in a 2012 resolution. Japan's long-term commitment to Human Security and experience in health and education are two areas in which the country has contributed internationally and which can be put to good use in formulating policies and programs to achieve the SDG targets.