On June 30, 2024, four United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteurs publicly released a joint opinion addressed to the Government of Japan regarding the guidelines, “Q&A on Responses to Child Abuse Related to Religious Beliefs, etc.” that were issued by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. The UN experts expressed serious concerns about (1) an unconventional definition of abuse that appears to target internationally accepted and harmless family worship practices protected by freedom of religion or belief, and (2) a subsequent marked increase in hate speech and hate crimes against our faith community and other religious minorities.
The joint letter sent to Japan on April 30, 2024, was signed by the Special Rapporteurs on freedom of religion or belief; the right to education; the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; and the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association.
For more details, please see the full press release.