Hereafter, it will be necessary for Japan to provide independent legal technical assistance, yet provide comprehensive support. Do you think it is important to cooperate with other countries and international organizations?

This has not yet been put into practice. Yes, international organizations such as the ADB have provided legal technical assistance.
Although we are financing the project, we have not dispatched any personnel.
Currently, even though the U.S. has sent many attorneys to the World Bank, the ADB and other international organizations, we have not sent anyone, especially anyone with a background in government institutions, such as judges and public prosecutors. In the future, we would like to aggressively dispatch personnel in order to construct a close cooperative relationship and to provide legal technical assistance as one method of international contribution.

In the past, our international aid has mainly been centered around money without any direct people-to-people assistance. Thus, we have often been criticized as a country without a face. In this regard, legal technical assistance provides an opportunity to dispatch personnel or invite people to Japan, thereby creating a situation in which there is personal contact. Subsequently, this type of assistance would diffuse the criticism that we only provide financial support and this is why I think this project has significance.

To expand legal technical assistance, government institutions and the private sector must work as one and cooperate closely with international organizations to provide coordinated and effective assistance. We believe that legal technical assistance is an area where attorneys could contribute internationally. However, if they are managing offices or are practicing attorneys, it would be financially difficult for them to take a long term leave of absence. Therefore, we believe that the Bar Association should construct a support system which would overcome these obstacles.