The Law on the Promotion of Human Rights Education and Human Rights Awareness-Raising

(Objective)

Article 1: Considering the rising awareness about the importance of respecting human rights, current state of human rights violations including the occurrences of unjust cases of discrimination based on social status, descent, race, creed or sex, as well as the current developments surrounding human rights protection in and outside Japan, this law defines the responsibilities of the national and local governments and individual citizens, and stipulates necessary measures, thereby contributing to human rights protection.

(Definition)

Article 2: In this law, human rights education is defined as educational activities aimed at the nurturing of spirit of respecting human rights and human rights awareness-raising is defined as public relations and other awareness-raising activities (excluding human rights education) aimed at popularizing the idea of respecting human rights among citizens and deepening their understanding of it.

(Basic Idea)

Article 3: Human rights education and human rights awareness-raising should be carried out by the national and local governments in such a way as to allow citizens to deepen their understanding and appreciation of the idea of respecting human rights depending on their developmental stages by providing diverse opportunities, adopting effective methods, respecting the voluntary will, and securing the neutrality of the implementing institutions.

(Responsibility of National Government)

Article 4: The national government is responsible for formulating and implementing the measures of human rights education and human rights awareness-raising according to the basic idea of human rights education and human rights awareness-raising (basic idea) as stipulated in Article 3.

(Responsibility of Local Governments)

Article 5: Local governments are responsible for formulating and implementing measures of human rights education and human rights awareness-raising following the basic idea by coordinating efforts with the national government and considering the local circumstances.

(Responsibility of Citizens)

Article 6: Citizens must endeavor to nurture the spirit of respecting human rights and contribute to the realization of the society respecting human rights.

(Formulation of Basic Plan)

Article 7: The national government shall formulate the basic plan on human rights education and human rights awareness-raising in order to promote measures of human rights education and human rights awareness-raising comprehensively and systematically.

(Annual Report)

Article 8: The national government shall present its report to the Diet every year on measures that it has implemented to promote human rights education and human rights awareness-raising.

(Financial Measures)

Article 9: The national government can provide financial measures to local governments, which implement measures on human rights education and human rights awareness-raising, by entrusting related projects and other means.

Annex

(Date of Enactment)

Article 1: This law is enacted on the day of its promulgation. However, the provision in Article 8 shall be applied to measures concerning human rights education and human rights awareness-raising which are to be implemented in the fiscal year following the year to which this date belongs.

(Reappraisal)

Article 2: This law shall be reappraised within three years since the day of its enactment based on survey findings and deliberations by the Council on the Promotion of Human Rights Protection on basic items for developing measures for the relief of victims of human rights violations as defined in Article 3 (2) of the Law on the Promotion of Human Rights Protection Measures (1996).

Accompanying Resolution on the Draft Law on the Promotion of Human Rights Education and Awareness-Raising

Adopted by the Legal Affairs Committee, House of Representatives (Nov. 15, 2000)

The national government is requested to give particular consideration to the following points:

Accompanying Resolution on the Draft Law on the Promotion of Human Rights Education and Awareness-Raising

Adopted by the Legal Affairs Committee, House of Councilors (Nov. 28, 2000)

The national government should make utmost efforts regarding the following matters in implementing this law for the realization of the 21st century as a century of human rights:

1. The basic idea of the new law as well as the responsibilities of the national government, local governments and citizens as stipulated in this law concerning the promotion of human rights education and human rights awareness-raising should be thoroughly publicized. Especially, appropriate measures should be taken to prevent public servants from violating human rights.
   
2. In the process of formulating the basic plan for the promotion of human rights education and awareness-raising, due attention should be paid to the opinions of local governments and non-governmental organizations and others concerned with human rights.
   
3. The basic plan should consist of complete contents reflecting the national action plan and other stipulations concerning the implementation of UN Decade for Human Rights Education.
   
4. Recognizing that human rights policies should be placed at the heart and basis of political administration, the cabinet as a whole should commit itself to their implementation.
   

(Translated by Yasumasa Hirasawa, Professor of Osaka University)