October 16, 2024
Japan Fair Trade Commission
Knowledge Co-Creation Program for Developing Countries
Today, I would like to talk about the Knowledge Co-Creation Program for Developing Countries.
We have been actively engaged in providing technical assistance for competition law and policy. As part of these efforts, we conduct a program for developing countries in cooperation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The goal of this program is to offer staff members of competition authorities in developing countries the opportunity to gain knowledge about the Antimonopoly Act and its implementation in Japan. By doing so, we aim to contribute to strengthening the enforcement of competition laws in those countries.
This program has been conducted almost every year since FY 1994 and has been held 29 times for a total of 325 participants from 67 countries.Currently, there are approximately 200 countries in the world, and over the past 30 years, the JFTC has provided support for the establishment and implementation of competition laws in 68 of these countries, or roughly one-third of all nations. While our technical assistance has primarily focused on East Asia, our geographical neighbor, the framework of this program has enabled us to extend support to countries in broader regions, such as Africa and Eastern Europe.
The content of this program is primarily determined based on the needs of the participating countries. In addition to covering the fundamental aspects of competition law, it also includes contemporary topics such as the digital economy and sustainability. Furthermore, the program incorporates not only lectures but also group discussions based on hypothetical case studies. This approach allows participants from developing countries to efficiently and effectively learn a wide range of knowledge and experiences related to Japan’s competition law from our staff and academic experts.
The JFTC intends to continue providing technical assistance to ensure that competition policies in developing countries can develop in a sustainable and independent manner.
（Tentative translation）
