Press Releases
Adoption of the Resolution on the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons Affected by Leprosy and their Family Members at the 29th UN Human Rights Council
1. On July 2 (local time), the resolution on elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members, submitted by Japan, on behalf of a cross-regional core-group, composed of Brazil, Estonia, Ethiopia, Japan, Morocco, Portugal and Romania, was unanimously adopted at the 29th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) (Geneva). The number of countries which co-sponsored the resolution has now become 94 countries. This number is an extremely large and exceeds the numbers of co-sponsoring countries for the resolutions submitted by Japan to the UNHRC in 2008 (PDF)
,2009 (PDF), and 2010 (PDF) that were relating to the elimination of discrimination against people affected by leprosy and their family members.
2. This resolution is intended for the Human Rights Council to discuss the issue of leprosy-related discrimination and to investigate effective methods for eliminating this discrimination in order to protect the human rights of people throughout the world affected by leprosy and their family members who suffer from discrimination.
The main content of this resolution is as follows.
(1) The Advisory Committee, which is a lower body of the UNHRC, is requested to undertake a study which reviews the implementation of the principles and guidelines for the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members (hereafter, P&G) and to submit a report containing practical suggestions for the wider dissemination and more effective implementation of P&G in order to eliminate discrimination and the stigma associated with leprosy and to promote, protect and respect the human rights of those affected by leprosy, and their family members by June 2017.
(2) The Advisory Committee, when elaborating the above-mentioned report, are encouraged to take into account the views of Member States, as appropriate, and all other relevant organizations,
(3) All relevant organizations, including the governments of the Member States, are called upon to cooperate with the study of the Advisory Committee.
3. Japan will continue to actively address the problem of discrimination against people affected by leprosy and their family members.