UN EXPERT URGES JAPAN TO PUT HUMAN RIGHTS AT CENTRE OF GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS

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From: UNNews <UNNews@un.org>
Date: 22 Jul 2013 10:00:01 -0400
Subject: UN EXPERT URGES JAPAN TO PUT HUMAN RIGHTS AT CENTRE OF GLOBAL
DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS
To: news11@ny-mail-p-lb-028.ptc.un.org

UN EXPERT URGES JAPAN TO PUT HUMAN RIGHTS AT CENTRE OF GLOBAL
DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS
New York, Jul 22 2013 10:00AM
An independent United Nations expert on foreign debt and human rights
has called on Japan to adopt a rights-based approach to its
international development cooperation, following a four-day mission to
the country.

"The Government should make a more explicit commitment to
incorporating human rights principles into the design, implementation
and monitoring of its international development cooperation policies,"
<"http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=13570&LangID=E">said
Independent Expert Cephas Lumina.

After the visit, which concluded on Friday, Mr. Lumina
<"http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=13562&LangID=E">recommended
that the Government adopt "a policy statement on human rights and
development cooperation," as other leading providers of official
development assistance (ODA), such as Australia, Canada, Finland,
Germany, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States,
have done.

"By focusing on equality, non-discrimination, participation,
empowerment, accountability and transparency, a rights-based approach
would improve the sustainability and effectiveness of Japanese
development cooperation," he added.

Mr. Lumina urged the Government to strengthen existing safeguard
policies of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the
Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI) and the Japan Bank for
International Cooperation (JBIC), which are designed to avoid or
mitigate the negative environmental and social impacts of development
projects supported by Japan.

He also called for more transparency concerning the loan agreements
concluded and export insurance provided by these institutions.

"Efforts to boost Japanese investments abroad should be sensitive to
relevant international human rights standards and labour standards,
including the UN Guiding Principles on foreign debt and human rights
and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights," Mr.
Lumina cautioned.

"Consideration should be also given to ensuring more comprehensive
regulation of Japanese foreign business activities to address issues
such as tax evasion and other forms of capital flight which undermine
the capacity of countries to mobilize sufficient domestic resources
for their development," he added. "Such an approach would be
consistent with the principle of 'self-help' which is a cornerstone of
Japan's ODA policy."

It was noted that Japan's ODA budget has been declining in recent
years. Compared to 1997, the ODA budget for 2013 has been cut by 52.3
per cent. In 2012, only 0.17 per cent of gross national income (GNI)
was devoted to development cooperation -- well below the UN target of
0.7 per cent of GNI.

While acknowledging the economic, fiscal and humanitarian challenges
the country has faced in recent years, Mr. Lumina urged the Government
to adopt a road map for reaching the UN target.

He commended the Government for establishing a framework for regular
dialogue with Japanese non-governmental organizations (NGOs), but
urged it to also engage in policy dialogue with those in recipient
countries and to extend support schemes available to Japanese NGOs to
them.

"The involvement of local NGOs in recipient countries would foster
transparency and accountability in the implementation of ODA-supported
projects and contribute to empowerment of local communities," he
noted.

Mr. Lumina also reminded the Government to follow up on its commitment
to establish an independent National Human Rights Institution.

Independent experts, or special rapporteurs, are appointed by the
Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a
country situation or a specific human rights theme. The positions are
honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their
work. Mr. Lumina will present his findings in a report to the Council
in March 2014.
Jul 22 2013 10:00AM
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