June 20, 2018
Several disabled persons’ groups are working to compile a report on the current situation of people with disabilities in Japan as the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is expected to conduct in 2020 a review of Japan’s implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
The CRPD stipulates that disabled citizens should have the right to live on an equal footing as able-bodied citizens. State parties to the convention are required to take necessary measures to realize this goal. The governments of these nations have to report to the UN commission regarding what kind of policies they implemented and how much the livelihoods of the disabled improved as a result.
Japan ratified the CRPD in January 2014 and the Japanese government submitted the required report in 2016.
The Japan Council on Disability (JD) and other groups point out that the government report is flawed as it does not indicate whether persons with disabilities in Japan have become better off. These groups in 2017 decided to write their own report (“parallel report”) on this issue and submit it to the UN committee. Since then, the groups have been working on compiling the report.
JD vice chief Sonobe Hideo explained that with a parallel report, they intend to help the UN body monitoring the CRPD gain a better understanding of problems being experienced by the disabled in Japan in order to issue necessary recommendations to the Japanese government.
The JD on May 26 held a meeting in Tokyo to discuss its draft of a parallel report. One of the meeting participants said that the report should note the history of forced sterilizations of persons with disabilities under the former Eugenic Protection Law.
Sonobe said, “Every group has its own position and perspective. Having this in mind, we are holding discussions to improve mutual understanding.”
The CRPD stipulates that disabled citizens should have the right to live on an equal footing as able-bodied citizens. State parties to the convention are required to take necessary measures to realize this goal. The governments of these nations have to report to the UN commission regarding what kind of policies they implemented and how much the livelihoods of the disabled improved as a result.
Japan ratified the CRPD in January 2014 and the Japanese government submitted the required report in 2016.
The Japan Council on Disability (JD) and other groups point out that the government report is flawed as it does not indicate whether persons with disabilities in Japan have become better off. These groups in 2017 decided to write their own report (“parallel report”) on this issue and submit it to the UN committee. Since then, the groups have been working on compiling the report.
JD vice chief Sonobe Hideo explained that with a parallel report, they intend to help the UN body monitoring the CRPD gain a better understanding of problems being experienced by the disabled in Japan in order to issue necessary recommendations to the Japanese government.
The JD on May 26 held a meeting in Tokyo to discuss its draft of a parallel report. One of the meeting participants said that the report should note the history of forced sterilizations of persons with disabilities under the former Eugenic Protection Law.
Sonobe said, “Every group has its own position and perspective. Having this in mind, we are holding discussions to improve mutual understanding.”
