On October 29, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) held the 2025 Memorial Ceremony in front of the Monument for International Cooperation at its Ichigaya Headquarters. The ceremony is held every year to commemorate all those who lost their lives in the course of JICA’s projects, and to pledge to place the highest priority on ensuring the lives and safety of those involved in international cooperation projects.
The ceremony was attended by JICA President Akihiko Tanaka and other officers and employees, as well as representatives of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Association (JOCA) and the Japan Cooperation Volunteers Association (JOCA), and the families of JICA Overseas Cooperation Volunteers who had died during past deployments.
At the memorial service, President Tanaka spoke of the importance of development cooperation in upholding human security and maintaining Japan’s prosperity and peace through its ties with the rest of the world, and of the importance of raising the safety awareness of each and every person involved in development cooperation projects. He also expressed his determination to pass on past serious incidents as the memory of the organization and to further foster a safety-oriented organizational culture.
We are reminded of the long history of Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA), which celebrated its 71st anniversary this year, and of JICA’s Overseas Cooperation Volunteers, which marked its 60th anniversary, and of the extensive and tremendous support provided by the people involved.
Monument of International Cooperation “Toward a Better Future Together”
The memorial was erected in 1993 with the support and cooperation of nearly 1,900 donors from Japan and around the world, as well as many related organizations, to remember those who have passed away in the course of JICA’s activities and to renew our commitment to carry on their work and spirit. The monument was erected in 1993 with the support and cooperation of nearly 1,900 people and organizations in Japan and around the world who donated funds.
© Source JICA