Dear colleagues,

Today Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda of Japan made a speech in the symposium named "From Okinawa to Toya-ko" organized by Friends of the Global Fund Japan, the Global Fund and Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo and pledged 560 million US dollars in the coming a few years after 2009 to the Global Fund.

Civil society made 2 press releases, one is from Japanese civil society and the other is global civil society, which both show our disappointment.

The following is the statement from Japanese civil society.

sincerely yours,

Masaki Inaba Africa Japan Forum/Japan AIDS and Society Association

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CIVIL SOCIETY 'DISAPPOINTED' BY JAPAN'S GLOBAL FUND CONTRIBUTION Civil Society Response to the Japanese Contribution to the Global Fund

Project RING, Japan AIDS and Society Association Africa Japan Forum

May 23 2008 Tokyo, Japan - Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda announced that today Japan would contribute a total of USD 560 Million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in the `coming few years`. If the pledge were made for the two years of 2009 to 2010, the Japanese contribution have increased from USD 186 Million in 2008 to USD 280 Million in 2009 and 2010.

Yet the ambiguous time period of "the coming few years" leaves open the possibility that the USD 560 million will be paid over 2008-2011, meaning that the Japanese contribution to the Global Fund would not increase.

The language makes it impossible to comment on the significance of the pledge at the time when demand has grown enormously and the contributions from other major donors have increased significantly.

An estimated USD 15-18 billion for 2008-2010 to the Global Fund will be needed in order to help meet internationally agreed-upon targets such as the 2015 Millennium Development Goals and the goal of achieving universal access to HIV/AIDS services by 2010, this contribution is far short of the USD 1-2 billion that is Japan's 'fair share' contribution to the Global Fund.

Donors such as the USA have consistently contributed about one-third of the Global Fund's funding needs, and the USA represents about one-third of GNI. On this basis, Japan, which has the second largest economy in the world, should represent about 12% of Global Fund needs, which is approximately USD 2.2 Billion FY 2008-2010.

Masaki Inaba from Japan AIDS and Society Association said, "This contribution is far below what Japan should be paying. As Japan has the 2nd largest economy in the world, Japan needs to take the responsibility of being the 2nd largest donor.

" The Global Fund Board, with the support of Japan, recently decided, in principle, to launch an additional funding Round in 2009, which will increase the funding demand from countries urgently scaling up programs to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The Japanese government's decision not to pay its fair share is particularly disappointing, given the increased need being expressed by developing countries.

Disappointment was also heard from civil society in Africa. Cheikh Tidanne Tall, Executive Director of AfriCASO said, "This unexpected pledge from the Government of Japan creates a deep disappointment for African CSO's; Africans being the continent which carries the largest burden of the three diseases through the millions of men, women and children suffering because of the lack of treatment."

Under the economic climate of decreasing ODA, civil society as well as some members within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has worked hard to ensure that Japan makes a pledge today, yet as society, as government as a whole, no one has taken the responsibility to fulfill international promises.

In 2000, at the Kyushu-Okinawa Summit, the Japanese Government, led by Prime Minister Mori launched the Okinawa Infectious Disease Initiative, committed itself to the global response to the spread of the infectious diseases.

Japan had prided itself as helping to pave the way for the establishment of the Global Fund, as proudly announced by Foreign Minister Koumura at a political speech in November 2007, and reiterated by Prime Minister Fukuda's speech in the 2008 World Economic Forum. This announcement left civil society wondering where this commitment has gone.