The Asian Population and Development Association (APDA) convened a two-day event from 20-21 August on the occasion of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9). The event was organized in collaboration with the Forum of Arab Parliamentarians on Population and Development (FAPPD) and the Forum of African Parliamentarians on Population and Development (FPA), with the support of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Arab States Regional Office (ASRO), Japan Trust Fund (JTF), and International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF).

On 20 August, a Policy Dialogue on the Africa-Japan Partnership for Population and Development was held. In the morning, the delegates made a visit to the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research (IPSS), where Dr. Hayashi Reiko, Director-General of IPSS, delivered a presentation titled “Population and Development in Africa, Japan and the World.”

The afternoon session took place at the APDA office, where Hon. Prof. Takemi Keizo, Chair of APDA, welcomed the participants. This was followed by a presentation from Dr. Deguchi Masashi, Corporate Officer and Senior Vice President, Sustainability Management Division, SHIONOGI & CO., LTD., on the “Mother to Mother SHIONOGI Project”. Subsequent presentations included Dr. Hala Youssef, UNFPA ASRO Adviser, on “Young People’s Sexual and Reproductive Health” and Dr. Amina Aminu Dorayi, Regional Portfolio Director, West and Central Africa, on “PATHFINDER’s Projects in Africa Focusing on Youth Engagement and Empowerment”.

On 21 August, APDA held a TICAD9 thematic event entitled “Let's Discuss the Future of Africa Together with Members of Parliament!” at Pacifico Yokohama. In the opening remarks, Hon. Aisawa Ichiro, Senior Vice-Chair of the Japan Parliamentarians Federation for Population (JPFP), shared Japan’s experiences and emphasized the importance of international cooperation for a sustainable future in Africa. This was followed by remarks from Mr. Nakamura Ryo, Director-General for Global Issues at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, who highlighted Japan’s long-standing engagement with UNFPA and IPPF in addressing population and development issues. The panel discussion, moderated by Hon. Makihara Hideki, former Minister of Justice, featured parliamentarians from Zambia, Uganda, Tunisia, and Ghana as panelists, who exchanged views on the achievements of parliamentarians’ activities supported by Japan and their expectations for future support.
In the closing session, Dr. Bermejo Alvaro, Director-General of IPPF, and Hon. Kamikawa Yoko, Chair of JPFP, delivered closing remarks, reaffirming the strong partnership between Japan and Africa in the field of population and development. Hon. Kamikawa emphasized the contribution of JTF and the critical role of parliamentarians and called for strengthened collaboration through parliamentary networks.