Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Former Defense Minister NAKATANI Gen urged Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio to reinstate the position of Special Advisor to the Prime Minister in Charge of International Human Rights Issues. Nakatani emphasized that Japan must address the situation in Gaza and the human rights violations carried out by Israel.

In an interview with JIJI Press, Nakatani stressed that reactivating this position would allow Japan to demonstrate its commitment to global human rights concerns effectively. 

Prime Minister Kishida initially proposed the post of Special Advisor to the Prime Minister in Charge of International Human Rights Issues as a key policy during the September 2021 Liberal Democratic Party presidential election. However, the post was eliminated in a cabinet reshuffle last September, despite Kishida’s initial strong support for it.

Nakatani, who served as Special Advisor to the Prime Minister in Charge of Human Rights for approximately two years, revealed that many politicians favor reinstating the position. He also emphasized the need for an organization or post to coordinate human rights policies across ministries or at least a minister dedicated to international human rights issues.

According to Nakatani, the issues needing attention include Ukraine, Hong Kong and forced labor in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region.

Nakatani highlighted several pressing issues that require attention, including the situations in Ukraine and Hong Kong and the forced labor in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. He also called for Japan to ratify the Genocide Convention, which prohibits the targeting and killing of specific races and ethnicities.

In the Palestinian-controlled Gaza Strip, where fighting between Israel and Hamas continues, the Israeli military is massacring people, and innocent children are becoming victims of war, which is regarded as a war crime and is tantamount to genocide. 

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) are looking at the issues, and the ICC has even requested an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on suspicion of war crimes and crimes against humanity.