Suchergebnisse

"A readable, balanced, and provocative view of the prospects for fruitful international economic cooperation. The papers are realistic: each discusses the difficulties involved in reaching cooperative solutions or procedures as well as the benefits of doing so. The discussion among the conference participants is lively, interesting, and insightful."--William H. Branson, Princeton University

"A readable, balanced, and provocative view of the prospects for fruitful international economic cooperation. The papers are realistic: each discusses the difficulties involved in reaching cooperative solutions or procedures as well as the benefits of doing so. The discussion among the conference participants is lively, interesting, and insightful."--William H. Branson, Princeton University

Japanese official development assistance (ODA) totaled $9.13 billion in 1988, which put Japan neck and neck with the United States for the title of largest aid-donor country. In the few decades since joining the Development Assistance Committee in 1961, Japan has steadily increased its aid effort until the country is now one of the major sources of economic cooperation. This article first outlines the characteristics of Japanese ODA—such as its emphasis on loans to Asia—and then discusses the various factors that have shaped these characteristics. In recognition of the fact that yen credits are central to Japanese assistance, the significance and impact of those yen credits are then examined. Finally, some recent developments in Japanese assistance and some issues that remain to be resolved are reviewed.

JAPANESE OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE (ODA) TOTALED $9.13 BILLION IN 1988, WHICH PUT JAPAN NECK-AND-NECK WITH THE UNITED STATES FOR THE POSITION OF LARGEST DONOR COUNTRY. SINCE JOINING THE DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE COMMITTEE IN 1961, JAPAN HAS STEADILY INCREASED ITS AID EFFORT UNTIL IT IS NOW ONE OF THE MAJOR SOURCES OF ECONOMIC HELP. THIS ARTICLE OUTLINES THE DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF JAPANESE ODA, SUCH AS ITS EMPHASIS ON LOANS TO ASIA, AND DISCUSSES THE VARIOUS FACTORS THAT HAVE SHAPED THESE CHARACTERISTICS. IN RECOGNITION OF THE FACT THAT YEN CREDITS ARE CENTRAL TO JAPANESE ASSISTANCE, THE SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF YEN CREDITS ARE EXAMINED. FINALLY, SOME RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN JAPANESE ASSISTANCE AND SOME ISSUES THAT REMAIN TO BE RESOLVED ARE REVIEWED.

POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CHANGES IN THE BLACK SEA REGION HAVE BROUGHT TURKISH PRESIDENT TURGUT OZAL'S VISION OF ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL COOPERATION IN THE REGION CLOSER TO FULFILMENT. THE DIVISIONS AND CONFRONTATIONS THAT WERE SO COMMON IN THE PAST--LARGELY A RESULT OF THE COLD WAR--ARE BEING REPLACED BY AN UNDERSTANDING OF PEACE AND DIALOGUE. THE EMERGENCE OF COMMONLY SHARED VALUES, SUCH AS DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND FREE ENTERPRISE, HAS CREATED FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR ALL NATIONS TO EMBARK UPON NEW FORMS OF PARTNERSHIP AND COOPERATION. IN THE ECONOMIC SPHERE, A SET OF COMPLEX FACTORS--REVOLUTIONARY PROGRESS IN COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES; INCREASED MOBILITY OF INDIVIDUALS, GOODS, SERVICES, AND CAPITAL; DIFFUSION OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY; AND THE GLOBALIZATION OF MARKETS--HAS RESULTED IN AN INTERDEPENENCE POSITIED AS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT OF THE LAST DECADE. GIVEN THESE CONDITIONS, TURKEY PUT FORTH THE BLACK SEA ECONOMIC COOPERATION PROJECT WITH A VIEW TO DEVELOPING AND DIVERSIFYING EXISTING ECONOMIC RELATIONS AMONG THE BLACK SEA COUNTRIES BY MAKING EFFICIENT USE OF THE ADVANTAGES ARISING FROM THEIR GEOGRAPHICAL PROXIMITY, THEIR TRADITIONAL TIES, AND THE COMPLIMENTARY NATURE OF THEIR ECONOMIES.

This Lecture Has a Dual Theme. Theme Number One is the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the OECD, where I worked from the beginning of 1984 till the spring of this year. I was originally asked by Ghita Ionescu to prepare for Government and Opposition an article on the Organization, as one of a series which the journal has been carrying on different international agencies. Two such articles have already appeared: one by Sir Nicholas Bayne, on the GATT and the Uruguay Round, and the other by Andrew Crockett on the IMF. I am pleased to be following these distinguished authors, the more so since I think of them both as former quasicolleagues — a term that I will explain later — at the OECD. But when the further idea of a lecture was raised, Professor Ionescu suggested that my subject-matter should be extended to cover international economic cooperation more generally, on the understanding that this broader theme would be linked to the specific case of the OECD.