第44回人権理事会 議題3 ハンセン病差別撤廃決議案に関する岡庭健大使による採択時の導入ステートメント（2020年7月16日）
令和2年7月21日
Ambassador OKANIWA Ken
The Permanent Mission of Japan in Geneva
On behalf of the Core Group, namely Brazil, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Fiji, India, Japan, Morocco, and Portugal, Japan submitted the draft resolution L.4 on elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members to this Council. We are sincerely grateful for the constructive participation in the informal discussion and appreciate the strong support of the _43_ co-sponsors.
The resolution will extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur, Ms. Alice Cruz, for another three years. For the past three years, she has played a critical role in eliminating discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members, and enhanced their social inclusion. She has made official visits to Brazil and Japan, gathered information on good practices, and striven to mainstream leprosy-related issues in the field of human rights. Despite all her work, much remains to be done globally to eliminate discrimination. If her mandate is extended, we expect Ms. Cruz to make further country visits, compile more good practices, and encourage countries to make their initiatives sustainable and mainstreamed.
In the past, leprosy was referred to as an incurable disease, but today we know that it is curable with medical treatment. However, there are still many who encounter discrimination due to stigma even after being cured. Leprosy has a profound impact on families. For example, children suffering from the disease have been segregated from their parents and siblings, and female sufferers have endured forced abortions. This is not a problem specific to certain regions, but a shared global issue. Shedding light on these issues of discrimination and stigma is an important mandate of this Council.
The Core Group takes seriously the views expressed during the informal discussion. Three years from now, the Core Group will review progress made by the Special Rapporteur and the extent to which leprosy-related discrimination has been eliminated.
In closing, I strongly hope the Council will adopt this draft resolution by consensus.