Japan to give ‘utmost consideration’ to issue of ‘graduation’

Japan’s Foreign Minister, the Honourable Fumio Kishida, has indicated his country’s intention to give “utmost consideration” to concerns of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on the  issue of graduation from concessionary funding based on the narrow measurement of GDP per capita, and to the value of expanding this measurement to include a vulnerability index.

The indication was provided during the  Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of CARICOM and Japan in Tokyo, 15 November, 2014.

According to him, the importance of assisting the Community from perspectives other than those based on per capita income was recognised. He said his country would extend its cooperation towards overcoming these vulnerabilities, utilising Japanese technologies and expertise in fields such as disaster risk reduction, countermeasures against environmental degradation, climate change, renewable energy, waste management and fisheries.

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