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International human rights treaties

International human rights treaties

The World Declaration on Human Rights, adopted in the UN General Assembly in 1948, is the most important basis regarding fundamental human rights. All international human rights treaties adopted then on are based on this declaration.

Governments that have ratified each of these treaties will be required to implement the standards set in the provisions in their own countries. At the same time, they are bound to submit periodic reports to treaty bodies in charge of observing the implementation of each treaty within countries. The treaty bodies review the government reports and give observations and recommendations.

Japan has so far ratified 7 international treaties: ICECR, ICCPR, CEDAW, CRC, CERD, CAT, and CED. Except for CED, ratified on February 2007, there have been periodic report review processes for all these treaties. Such reviews are significant because they bring to light the human rights violations that cannot be addressed by legislations or systems within the country, and provide specific ideas on how to take charge of the problems. IMADR-JC, as well as many other Japanese NGOs working to implement international human rights standards in Japan, take actions to make these processes effective for the improvement of human rights situations in Japan at each stage of the process, calling for effective dialogue with the government in the preparation of the government report, submitting NGO shadow reports to treaty bodies and lobbying at the review sessions, and calling for the implementation of the treaty body recommendations after the review process.

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  • Celebrating Human Rights Day 2010 at the UN.
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    2011.01.24

    • In honor of Human Rights Day on December 10, an event was held at the United Nations in Geneva. The theme was “Human Rights Defenders Acting Against Discrimination,” which focused on recognizing, supporting and, most importantly, defending human rights defenders in their work. The program included speakers, performances and human rights defenders who engaged in a panel discussion.

    Welcome from the Mayor
    The Mayor of Geneva, Sandrine Salerno, opened the event by delivering a welcome speech in which she declared the city’s commitment to work with the federation to provide the best accommodation for the organizations based in Geneva, and its dedication to defending human rights defenders. Salerno had a personal stake in the latter, as she was a long-time campaigner for maternal rights and fought for men and women’s equality before becoming mayor. She expressed her personal opinion that the Human Rights Council could be more effective, as well as her amazement at the “ill will” shown by States both in the North and South in turning law into action. She identified a relapse due to an upsurge in the areas of the prohibition of torture, and the persistence of discrimination based on gender, religion and sexual orientation. She ended her welcoming by pledging her full support to Navi Pillay, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, as long as she remained in office.

    Keynote Speech by the High Commissioner
    The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, opened her speech by pointing out that the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights set out a path where the strong are held accountable and the vulnerable are protected. She asserted that it is human rights defenders who struggle to translate the principles enshrined in the Declaration into reality. She called on people to make the fight of human rights defenders their priority and to stand by them, as they are now being arrested, detained and sometimes killed. She said that human rights defenders continue to champion the Declaration through their ideas and actions, and know that silence and inaction embolden those who threaten and violate human rights. Pillay then addressed many pressing human rights issues that defenders so boldly fight to eliminate, namely discrimination against women, indigenous people, migrants, older persons, persons with disabilities and discrimination based on sexuality. The final message in her speech was to governments, who she called on to acknowledge that criticism is not a crime and to release of all human rights defenders.

    Q&A Session [PDF file]

    (by Jade Johnston IMADR intern in Geneva)

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In December 2006, the Government of Japan submitted its 5th periodic report to the Human Rights Committee. This report will be reviewed in due course, bringing the situation of human rights in Japan provided in the convention before the committee to be observed. ICCPR, together with ICESCR are important conventions dealing with comprehensive themes and setting a basis for all other international conventions. Aware of the significance of this convention, IMADR took an active role in the previous review process of the government’s 4th periodic report. The Human Rights Committee made a number of important recommendations after the review, but, after 10 years, most of them have yet to be implemented. Regarding the review process of the 5th periodic report, IMADR-JC strives to engage in the process as part of a network of Japanese NGOs.

The Japanese government is also currently preparing periodic reports for ICERD and ICESCR. A concluding observation on CAT was also issued in May 2005. IMADR-JC is closely observing these important processes.

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