9th Session of Human Rights Council

Statement of Japan

Statement by H.E. Ambassador Shinichi KITAJIMA
Item 2: Update by High Commissioner

9th Session of Human Rights Council

Geneva, 8 September 2008
Permanent Mission of Japan in Geneva

Thank you Mr. President,

 

Let me start by congratulating you on your assumption of the President of this Council. We place our trust in you for your experienced leadership for this new cycle of the Council.

 

The Government of Japan also extends its warmest congratulations and welcome to Madam Navanethem Pillay upon her assumption of the role of High Commissioner for Human Rights. We wish all the success to Madam High Commissioner as a human rights defender with extensive experience dating back to the days of Apartheid, as well as a jurist of international background who has worked as a judge of the International Criminal Court. For our part, we would like to make our utmost effort to further enhance our cooperation with the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

 

With regard to the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that Madam High Commissioner has mentioned in her update statement, we have witnessed significant progress in protecting and promoting human rights since the adoption of UDHR. However, unfortunately, we have to face the fact that grave human rights violations still continue to take place in many parts of the world. It is our firm belief that human rights are universal values, and thus, all human rights must be promoted and protected in every part of the world. That’s why we have attached great importance to the roles of the OHCHR and the Human Rights Council, to which we are committed to contribute.

 

Of the treaty bodies, the Government of Japan has already ratified six of the principal human rights instruments and it is currently working to ratify two more conventions Japan signed last year, that is, the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We believe that the human rights treaty bodies have played significant roles in protecting and promoting human rights. It is vital for the promotion and protection of human rights that not only the States Parties comply with and fully implement obligations of these human rights treaties to which the states have become parties, but also the ratification of human rights instruments should be further promoted.

 

In this regard, Japan submitted our state reports to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and also to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and to its two Optional Protocols this year. In addition, next month, we will have a review session of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. As you correctly pointed out, Madam High Commissioner, the human rights treaty bodies play an important role in our efforts to create a global culture of human rights, together with the Special Procedure mechanisms. Through these review processes, we hope to further enhance the promotion and protection of human rights in the world including our own.

 

Before concluding, as Madam High Commissioner mentioned, the post of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is an extremely demanding one, but we sincerely wish that the new High Commissioner will undertake this important post with unyielding commitment as the UN official with principal responsibility for UN human rights activities, and demonstrate an effective, accountable and transparent management of the Office. We are ready to work with you, Madam High Commissioner, on various tasks in order to promote and protect all human rights for all people.

 

I thank you, Mr. President.