3rd Quarterly, 2005 No.137
Osaka Appeal
Calling for Eliminating "Discrimination Based on Work and Descent"
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II that caused humankind the huge devastation. From the profound remorse, the Third General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948, on the basis of the philosophy that "eliminating discrimination and defending human rights will lead to the realization of eternal peace."
On the occasion of the 57th anniversary of the UDHR, today we held the rally on the theme of "Aiming at the Elimination of Discrimination based on Work and Descent" in Osaka, Japan. Through the rally, we have learned the reality of discrimination against Buraku in Japan, discrimination against Dalits in India, and the analogue type of discrimination existing in Senegal, Mauritania and several other countries in Africa. These problems of discrimination have their own long history in their respective countries, and are deeply rooted in their respective societies.
While a lot of initiatives have been taken to address these problems in each respective country with achievements made to a certain extent, we still face the serious reality of discrimination. Facing this, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) and the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (Sub-Commission) of the United Nations have defined these problems as discrimination based on "descent" or "work and descent" for the recent years, and taken many initiatives towards the elimination of discrimination which has seriously affected at least 250 million people throughout the world.
While welcoming these initiatives, we would like to make the following appeal for concerned governments, the United Nations and other entities including business corporations, religious organizations, educators and mass-media, in the hope that all concerned parties and individuals will focus their efforts on the elimination of discrimination based on work and descent:
- Concerned national and local governments should reveal actual conditions of "discrimination based on work and descent", improve the legal system to eliminate this type of discrimination, develop plan of action and fully implement it accordingly.
- The UN should consider initiatives for the elimination of "discrimination based on work and descent" as priority issue in its ongoing reform program. Among others, the UN guarantees continued research activities of Special Rapporteurs with the aim to eliminate "discrimination based on work and descent" who have been appointed by the Sub-Commission.
- Business corporations (both national and transnational), religious organizations, people connected with education and mass-media, and all individuals should be deeply concerned about the elimination of "discrimination based on work and descent," and make their efforts towards the elimination.
December 9, 2005
All Participants of the Osaka Rally
to Celebrate the 57th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights