Press Releases
Result of the election of the members of the Human Rights Committee
On June 16 (June 15 local time), the election of the members of the Human Rights Committee (CCPR) was held at the 42nd Meeting of States Parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Japan’s candidate, Professor TERAYA Koji, Graduate Schools for Law and Politics, the University of Tokyo, was re-elected with 128 votes.
- Professor TERAYA has been engaged in research and education in the fields of international law, international human rights law and international humanitarian law for over 25 years. He has also been active in the International Law Association, the Japanese Society of International Law and the International Human Rights Law Association, both domestically and internationally. Furthermore, Professor TERAYA served as a member of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED) from 2017 to 2021 and has been a member of the Human Rights Committee (CCPR) since 2023, making significant contributions to the work of both committees.
- Professor TERAYA’s contributions to the activities of the Human Rights Committee (CCPR), drawing upon his extensive knowledge of and experience in international law including international human rights law, hold significant importance for Japan as an active proponent of human rights diplomacy.
(Reference1) Result of the election (Valid Votes: 172 votes)
- Elected
- Azerbaijan: 131 votes
- The Netherlands: 129 votes
- Japan (Prof. TERAYA): 128 votes
- Senegal: 115 votes
- Togo: 111 votes
- Côte d’Ivoire: 108 votes
- Czech Republic: 108 votes
- Guatemala: 102 votes
- Uruguay: 101 votes
- Not Elected
- Lithuania: 83 votes
- Brazil: 81 votes
- Mali: 81 votes
- Burundi: 67 votes
- Mexico: 56 votes
- Panama: 47 votes
- Uganda: 45 votes
(Reference2) Human Rights Committee
The Human Rights Committee was established in accordance with Article 28 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The primary tasks of the Committee include considering government reports under Article 40 and examining communications from States Parties under Article 41 of the Covenant. The 18 members of the Committee serve a four-year term in their individual capacity (the term of the nine members elected in this election runs from January 2027 to December 2030).
(Reference3) International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
It was adopted unanimously by the 21st UN General Assembly in 1966 and entered into force in 1976. As of June 2026, 175 countries are parties. Japan ratified the Covenant in June 1979 (it entered into force in September of the same year).