From the community

Can you elaborate for our community members the role that CLAIR plays for Japanese local government organisations?

The Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR) is a Japanese governmental agency established in 1988 to support the international activities and relations of local authorities and also aims to provide support to local government in promoting tourism and regional products. With headquarters in Tokyo and domestic branch offices in each of Japan’s 47 prefecture and 20 designated-cities, staff are also seconded to one of seven overseas offices in major cities around the world to work on a range of different programmes.  Staff are seconded from Japan’s local authorities for a three-year placement, generally one year at Tokyo HQ and two years’ placement at one of the seven overseas offices.

The most well-known project of CLAIR is the JET Programme, where local authorities cooperate with the Ministry of Internal Affairs & Communications (MIC), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) on the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme, managed by CLAIR HQ in Tokyo. JET participants are recruited as graduates from overseas to work as Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) in schools; Coordinators for International Relations (CIRs) in city halls and prefecture HQs, or Sports Exchange Advisors (SEAs), promoting international exchange through sport. The JET Programme is one of the largest international exchange programmes in the world, with more than 65,000 participants since it began in 1987. CLAIR is one of the main sponsors of the JET Alumni Association supporting former participants maintain links with Japan globally.

What is the main focus of your work at CLAIR?

Depending on the overseas office, as well as supporting recruitment for JET and supporting alumni chapters, much work revolves around facilitating requests for support from our members, Japan’s local authorities, around their international activities.  This could be researching local public policy in Europe and producing requested reports on local administration, supporting visits for research on policy from Japanese public servants or elected members, providing advice and guidance on overseas PR and promotion activity for local products, industry and tourism, to name but a few.

On engagement with local stakeholders in Europe, the London office works with UK and European local government professionals to share best practice and international learning through a variety of programmes such as an annual ‘Japan Study Tour’, visiting municipal facilities and holding seminars with Japanese local government colleagues on a week-long visit to a Japanese host authority.  Japan Local Government Centre (CLAIR’s office in London) also holds an annual seminar in the UK with partners like the Local Government Association as well as local authorities and local development agencies to promote learning from Japan such as supporting international trade for the regions, high speed rail and best practice in supporting an aging society, to name some seminar themes in recent years. 

CLAIR facilitates international exchange for Japanese Local governments via the sister city programme – can you provide a recent example of how this works?

CLAIR provides support to Japanese local authorities on a variety of long and short term international projects; the London office supported 85 such projects in 2018 as well as handling 13 specifically research projects.  Requests for support from member authorities go to the overseas network of seven offices globally, coordinated by staff in HQ in Tokyo.  Examples of projects supported by the London office in the last year included:

• Supporting historic links between the UK, in the London Borough of Camden and Manchester City Council, with Kagoshima Prefecture to promote public education programmes around shared industrial heritage from the 19^th Century and support long term youth exchange programmes in both UK local authority areas with their Japanese partner authority on the southern island of Kyushu
• Providing ongoing practical support and advice on a range of exchange programmes between Toyota City and three partner local authorities in Derbyshire, UK.  This year saw the 25^th anniversary of these partnerships revolving around Toyota Manufacturing UK based in the county which has its Japanese HQ in the city of the same name in Aichi.  The partnership focuses on staff exchanges between Derbyshire County Council, school exchanges between both areas and mutual promotion of each partner areas as a tourist and inward investment destination as well as a supporting local companies enter both local markets, in conjunction with local agencies
• Exchange programmes between the State Government of Niedersachsen, Ministry of the Environment and employees of Tokushima Prefecture's Environment Department, working together on energy exhibitions, collaboration of local power companies, and exchanging policy

Tokyo hosted the U20 Mayors Summit earlier this year. Can you outline the main objectives and results of the summit?

Urban 20 (U20) is a new global platform established by the mayors of Buenos Aires and Paris in cooperation with The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, made up of 90 of the world's most influential cities, representing more than 650 million people and one quarter of the global economy and chaired by the Mayor of Paris. Based on the recognition that cities play an important role in creating a sustainable and inclusive world, U20 brings together major cities from G20 member states to discuss global challenges, form a common position and produce recommendations for consideration by the G20.

Currently, 27 major cities are affiliated, and Tokyo as the 2019 chair city held the U20 Tokyo Mayors Summit from May 20 to 22 this year. At the meeting, a joint communiqué was announced that included planning for achieving zero emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050 which was handed over to Prime Minister Abe for the G20 Presidency in Osaka.

The full text of the communique can be seen here (PDF file)