1st Quarterly, 2005 No.135

BLHRRI to Launch the Project on "Discrimination Based on Work and Descent"

Since 2000, the issue of "discrimination based on work and descent" has been one of agendas of the UN Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (Sub-Commission). The issue specifically concerns Buraku discrimination in Japan, Dalit discrimination in South Asia and a similar type of discrimination in West Africa. Also, the issue has been drawing attention of the international community as the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) and other UN bodies have taken initiatives towards the elimination of discrimination based on work and descent.

In Japan, since the mid-'70s, with initiatives taken by the Buraku Liberation League, the problem of Buraku discrimination has been part of agendas of main UN human rights bodies. Later, with the foundation of the International Movement against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR) and the International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN), international networking and solidarity building among those who have been suffering from similar types of discrimination in different parts of the world has begun.

Taking these into considerations, Buraku Liberation and Human Rights Research Institute will work on the following programs: 1) generalization of efforts towards the elimination of Buraku discrimination in Japan; 2) follow-up of the initiatives taken by the CERD on "discrimination based on descent" as well as the Sub-Commission on "discrimination based on work and descent," 3) research in similar types of discrimination existing and practiced in other regions/countries than those already being focused on; and 4) launch of the project concerning "discrimination based on work and descent" within the BLHRRI in view of active contribution to the preparation of a comprehensive study on "discrimination based on work and descent" to be submitted to the fifty-ninth session (2007) of the Sub-Commission by the Special Rapporteurs, namely Professors Yozo Yokota and Chin-Sung Chung, who were appointed by the Sub-Commission on this topic.