Government of Japan announces foreign recipients of the Autumn 2021 Imperial Decorations on November 3

CAIRO - 4 November 2021: Government of Japan announced the foreign recipients of the Autumn 2021 Imperial Decorations on November 3, 2021.

Ambassador of the Permanent Observer of the League of Arab States to the United Nations, former United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Africa to the United Nations Secretary-General Maged Abdelfatah Abdelaziz is among the recipients.

This comes in recognition of his contributions as one of the co-organizers of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) process, through which Japan-Africa relations have been strengthened.

Moreover, Ambassador Abdelaziz will receive the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star.

It is worth mentioning that TICAD has been a vital platform for over a quarter of a century to leverage multi-stakeholder collaborations for Africa’s development at scale.

The COVID-19 pandemic has once again demonstrated how the human security crisis can easily spread across borders and how interdependent all nations and regions are.

TICAD, founded on the principle of “ownership and partnership,” can be more instrumental than ever in mobilizing international efforts to support Africa overcome the COVID-19 crisis and build back better.

SUMMARY OF CONTRIBUTIONS
 

The Office of the Special Advisor on Africa to the United Nations Secretary-General (UN-OSAA, former UN-OSCAL) has represented the United Nations, co-organizer of TICAD since its inception in 1993.

Through the TICAD process, Japan and UN-OSAA work together on many of Africa’s most pressing challenges, from development to peace and stability.

During his distinguished career, Ambassador Abdelaziz has made significant contributions to the TICAD process.

In particular, he forged a comprehensive TICAD process, reflecting increasingly dynamic partnerships with the African Union and the United Nations.

Under his leadership, TICAD gained further significance as an inclusive, multilateral forum aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

Brief History
 

TICAD stands for Tokyo International Conference on African Development. The Government of Japan has been leading this conference since 1993, co-hosted by United Nations, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Bank and African Union Commission (AUC).

TICAD7 was held on August 28 - 30, 2019 at Pacifico Yokohama, Yokohama city, Japan, with more than 10,000 participants, including 42 African leaders from 53 African countries, 52 development partner countries, 108 heads of international and regional organizations, and representatives of civil society and the private sector.

Prime Minister Abe co-chaired with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi (AU Chair). Promotion of business was the main focus of TICAD7.
 

TICAD8 will be held in 2022 hosted by the Republic of Tunisia.