Buraku Liberation News, Aug 1998 issue (No.103)
A Japanese NGO urged the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights regarding the UN Decade for Human Rights Education.
The Organizing Committee for the International Conference on Human Rights Education in the Asia-Pacific Region submitted on 12 July 1998 to Mrs. Mary Robinson, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, a couple of issues for consideration and inclusion in the review of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (VDPA).
The World Conference on Human Rights, held in 1993, adopted by consensus the VDPA in which it called for a review of the progress made in the implementation of the Declaration in five years on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In this connection, the Organizing Committee submitted the request since the High Commissioner's Office is preparing the report on the implementation of the VDPA to be submitted to the General Assembly at its fifty-third session.
The Organizing Committee consists of human rights NGOs and local governments in Japan. It is planning to organize an international conference on human rights education on November 25, 26, and 27, in Osaka, Japan.
The following are the issues for the consideration and inclusion.
July 12, 1998
We the undersigned, on behalf of the Organizing Committee for the International Conference on Human Rights Education in the Asia-Pacific Region (to be held in Osaka, November 25-27, 1998), submit the following issues for your consideration and inclusion in your review of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (VDPA).
Bearing in mind the importance given to human rights education in the VDPA, we urge that the review document submitted by you to the General Assembly:
- call upon all Member States to report regularly on the progress made and steps taken to fulfill the obligations and commitments regarding human rights education that they have made in the VDPA, in the subsequent implementing General Assembly Resolution 49 / 184 proclaiming the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education (1995 - 2004) and in the Plan of Action for the Decade, noting in particular that such Plan of Action explicitly calls for the strengthening of local programmes and capacities;
- call upon all relevant UN treaty bodies, special procedures and mechanisms to monitor the implementation of such obligations and commitments regarding human rights education;
- call upon Member States to fully respect all the principles set out in the UN Guidelines for National Plans of Action for Human Rights Education (A / 52 / 469 / Add.1) and especially those principles set out in paragraphs 17 and 18 of the Guidelines as follows:
"17. All procedures and practices for the elaboration, implementation and evaluation of the national plan should guarantee
(a) the pluralistic representation of society (including NGOs);
(b) transparency of operation;
(c) public accountability; and
(d) democratic participation.
18. All governments authorities should respect the independence and autonomy of the various organizations in the implementation of the national plan";
- call upon all relevant treaty bodies, special procedures and mechanisms to monitor Member State compliance with the aforementioned principles set out in the Guidelines.
Mr. Dong-Hoon Kim
Director
Asia-Pacific Human Rights Information Center (HURIGHTS Osaka)
Mr. Kenzo Tomonaga
Director
Buraku Liberation and Human Rights Research Institute
Mr. Kinhide Mushakoji
President
International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR-JC)
On behalf of the Organizing Committee for the International Conference on Human Rights Education in the Asia-Pacific Region.