Japan: Human Rights Committee sees no progress in the implementation of ICCPR

Overview 111th Session – Japan

The Human Rights Committee raised an extensive number of human rights issues during the examination of Japan without a satisfactory response from the Government. The issues addressed included the death penalty as well as the detention system known as “daiy? kangoku”, which allows 23 days of detention before charges are brought. The concern over these issues has already been expressed and relevant recommendations were issued by the HR Committee in its 2008 recommendations, but no substantive measures were taken by the Government to implement those.

Additional concerns related the application of the principle of non-refoulement and treatment of asylum applicants, gender equality and discrimination against LGBT persons as well as the consequences of the Fukushima disaster.

Furthermore, the issue of “comfort women” during the Second World War was also discussed in length. An Expert said that it was time to replace the euphemism “comfort women” with “enforced sex slaves” and enquired about remedies available in Japan for those victims.

In its response, Japan did not address the Committee’s concerns, in particular regarding the use of detention facilities in police stations (daiy? kangoku) showing no willingness to limit its practice. Similarly, the Government did not show concrete steps to limit the application of the death penalty, given a long list of 19 crimes, which could be punished by capital punishment.

The review of Japan was attended by more than 80 representatives of civil society organisations. While most of them productively and respectfully participated in the process, some of the observers were involved in rather inappropriate actions. It was reported that they used abusive and disrespectful language towards the Committee, its members and their work in newspaper articles and blog postings.

The Concluding Observations for which the State should provide information on the implementation within one year, concern:

  • Death penalty
  • Sexual slavery practices against “comfort women”
  • Labour legislation to foreign trainees and technical interns
  • The Daiyo Kangoku and forced confessions

The Sixth Periodic Report on the implementation of the ICCPR in Japan was reviewed by the Human Rights Committee on the 15th and 16th of July 2014. For a comprehensive overview of the discussion, see the proceedings on the OHCHR website or watch the webcast of the session (in Japanese).

The next periodic report should be submitted by the State party on 31st July 2018.

deneme bonusu bonus veren siteler bonus veren siteler deneme bonusu veren siteler aiaswo.org cafetinnova.org
deneme bonusu veren siteler obeclms.com bonus veren siteler

Rules of Procedure of the Human Rights Committee

Rules of Procedure of the Human Rights Committee CCPR/C/3/Rev.10

Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Russian | Spanish

CCPR NGO Participation

Documents adopted by the Human Rights Committee (March 2012)

English | French | Spanish | Russian | Handbook

CCPR NHRI Participation

Documents adopted by the Human Rights Committee (November 2012)

English | French | Spanish | Russian | Arabic | Chinese