In February 2010, Japan was reviewed by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD).
In February 2010, Japan was reviewed by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD).

Following the review, the concluding observations were released in March, including various human rights issues most of which were pointed out in the previous observations.

These observations include: Recommendation No. 9 – to consider adopting specific legislation to outlaw direct and indirect racial discrimination; Recommendation No. 12 – the establishment of an independent human rights institution; and Recommendation No. 29 – to consider making the optional declaration provided for in article 14 of the Convention recognizing the competence of the Committee to receive and consider individual complaints.   

Following the release of the observations, several civil society groups and individuals including Citizens' Council for Human Rights Japan (CCHRJ), International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR), and Amnesty International Japan, which have long tackled the human rights issues, submitted a 'Statement of request regarding the concluding observations by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination' to urge the Japanese government for the earlier achievement of the recommendations in particular mentioned above.

Please read the 'Statement of Request ' here.