Partners in Development: The United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea

The world today faces a rapid cascade of challenges that are testing all countries and communities like never before. We have been battered by the economic, social, and health consequences of the pandemic; shattered by rising poverty and deepening inequalities; and devastated by food insecurity, high energy prices, and climate shocks. 

The most pressing issues of our time are deeply interconnected and cannot be addressed by any single country alone. Working together, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the United States can use our comparative advantages strategically – and in doing so advance freedom, peace, and prosperity globally.

Showcasing the importance of the United States’ relationships with Japan and the Republic of Korea, President Biden hosted the Trilateral Leaders’ Summit at Camp David in August. There the three leaders agreed to advance concrete discussions for deepening development policy coordination in the “Spirit of Camp David” Leaders’ Joint Statement. 

As a direct result of the Leaders’ Summit, development and humanitarian assistance officials from our three nations gathered in Hawai’i in October 2023 for the U.S.-Japan-Republic of Korea Trilateral Development and Humanitarian Assistance Policy Dialogue to mark a new chapter in our partnership as we work collectively to meet this moment. During the dialogue, our three countries reaffirmed their commitments to a free and open Indo-Pacific by promoting our development cooperation while pursuing respect for international law, shared principles, and common values in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

Today we’re collaborating on global challenges.

The evolution of the relationships among our three countries serves as a testament to the power of international collaboration in the pursuit of development and humanitarian assistance goals. Today, our nations work together on a wide range of issues around the world –  with a particular focus on areas including agriculture, youth entrepreneurship, health care, gender (including the Women, Peace, and Security agenda), and clean energy.

In another critical partnership, the three countries share a commitment to helping Ukraine emerge from Russia’s aggression as a strong, sovereign, democratic, and prosperous society that is free to choose its own future. The Republic of Korea was the first country to join USAID to support Ukrainian farmers and their role in maintaining global food security through USAID’s Agriculture Resilience Initiative-Ukraine (AGRI-Ukraine). Japan has also continued its assistance to the recovery of agricultural production in Ukraine, for example, by distributing seeds to micro-scale farmers, mainly women and youth, as well as providing research seeds to agricultural training centers.

In July, USAID,  the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) signed a historic trilateral Memorandum of Cooperation to support efforts to increase access to primary health care in Ghana. Through this partnership, we are better positioned to leverage our competencies, expertise, and resources to strengthen Ghana’s primary health care. 

At the signing event, U.S. Ambassador to Ghana Virginia Palmer said: “The pandemic showed us the power of strategic partnership with our allies to build a healthier, more equitable, and more prosperous world. We are proud to join Japan and the Republic of Korea in this partnership to achieve Universal [Health] Coverage in Ghana.” 

And this is just the beginning. 

We are committed to showing the world that democracies can, indeed, deliver by effectively addressing all of these challenges that confront us and achieve meaningful and sustainable development outcomes. Our three nations have before us a pivotal moment to build on the momentum of the Camp David Summit and align ourselves to drive progress against the greatest challenges of our time.

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

• Won Doyeon serves as the Director General of the Development Cooperation Bureau in the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• Endo Kazuya serves as the Director General of the International Cooperation Bureau in Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• Michele Sumilas serves as the USAID Assistant to the Administrator for Planning, Learning and Resource Management.

**Lead Image Photo Credit: Sunday, May 21, 2023, during the G7 Summit at the Grand Prince Hotel in Hiroshima, Japan. (Official White House Photo by Cameron Smith)