Japanese leadership in 2008 is essential to keep African development high on the international agenda. A spate of natural disasters, the food price crisis, the oil shock and continuing turbulence in the financial markets are piling on the pressure for the international humanitarian and development communities. There are also a number of opportunities in 2008 to make real progress towards sustainable African development.

More than 50 leaders from Africa and Asia will gather in Yokohama, Japan, this week for the 4th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV, 28-30 May). This event is an essential space for African participation in high-level international discussions. Japan also hosts the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit (7-9 July), an opportunity to raise critical African issues: aid, a renewed commitment to the MDGs and climate change mitigation. But it cannot end there. The TICAD process should also inform the High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Accra, Ghana, and the UN-supported MDG Summit in New York, USA, both in September.

Recognising this important year for Japan, ODI has worked to bring together policy-makers, researchers and civil society to help inform this process. The resulting resources and events can be seen below.