UN University mounted a major effort to support the fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV), a three-day summit in Yokohama designed to establish a framework for a century of African growth.

Representatives from 51 African countries, including 40 heads of state, joined Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda in signing the “Yokohama Declaration”, outlining principles for advancing African development among TICAD stakeholders, as well as the “Yokohama Action Plan” and the “Yokohama Follow-up Mechanism”, laying out a road map for action-oriented initiatives with measurable targets.

UN University and the Yokohama-based UNU Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS) organised several official side-events at the conference on topics ranging from education for sustainable development to climate change and human security. UNU Centre staff from the Environment and Sustainable Development and Peace and Governance programmes were also prominent at conference sessions and side events.