第77回国連総会第3委員会議題68「人権」一般討論に関する孫崎公使ステートメント
令和4年10月20日
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Mr. Chair,Japan is concerned about the continuing serious human rights and humanitarian situations around the world, and I will make five points to start with.
Firstly, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine infringes upon the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, constitutes a serious violation of international law prohibiting use of force, and undermines the very foundation of the international order which denies unilateral change of the status quo by force. This is categorically unacceptable, and Japan condemns it in the strongest terms. We call on Russia to fully comply with its obligation to respect international law, including international humanitarian and human rights law.
Secondly, in the Asia-Pacific region, challenges remain in terms of democratization and the protection of fundamental human rights, despite of remarkable economic development. In Myanmar, we are concerned about the lack of improvement in the one and a half years since the coup. Japan seriously deplores the executions of Myanmar detainees, going completely against the release of the detainees, for which Japan has consistently called. Once again, we strongly urge the Myanmar Armed Forces to take concrete actions to immediately stop violence, release the detainees, and quickly restore the democratic political system.
Thirdly, Japan appreciates the release of the report on the human rights situation in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Japan is seriously concerned about the human rights situation in the region and believes that it is important that the universal values of the international community—namely freedom, respect for fundamental human rights, and the rule of law—be ensured in China. We continue to strongly urge China to take further positive and concrete actions, including by providing transparent explanations.
Fourthly, the issue of the abductions by the DPRK is a serious problem that affects the sovereignty of Japan and the lives and safety of the people. It is a flagrant case of violation of fundamental human rights, and therefore is a universal issue of concern to the entire international community. As the families of the victims continue to age, there is no time to lose before we resolve the abductions issue. We strongly urge the DPRK to realize the immediate return of all abductees and look forward to the continued understanding and cooperation of the international community in addressing this matter.
Lastly on regional issues but not least, in the light of our fundamental position on upholding human rights, in particular the rights of women, Japan is deeply concerned about the situations in Iran, where the protests following the death of Ms. Mahsa Amini have resulted in numerous deaths and casualties.
Mr. Chair,
Taking this opportunity, I would like to share Japan’s efforts in some thematic areas as well. On gender equality and women’s empowerment, we must redouble our efforts in order not to lose the momentum. To that end, Japan will host the World Assembly for Women (WAW! 2022) in Tokyo on December 3, to share good practices and lessons to address the complex challenges facing gender equality.
Finally, on business and human rights. Last month, Japan released the Guidelines on Respecting Human Rights in Responsible Supply Chains, which is the cross-industry due diligence guidelines for a business environment conducive to the protection and promotion of human rights in the supply chains. We will work for this Guidelines to be widely observed.
Mr. Chair,
I would like to conclude by reiterating our commitment to work together with other Member States on these important issues.
Thank you.