U.S. Statement at the Universal Periodic Review of Japan,
42nd Session
As Delivered by Ambassador Michele Taylor
Thank you, Madame Vice President. It’s great to see you in person in your new role.
The United States welcomes the distinguished delegation of Japan.
We applaud Japan for its democratic institutions, its commitment to the rule of law, and its efforts to advance human rights. We have enjoyed our collaboration this past year as members of the HRC and look forward to continued engagement.
While we understand that not all asylum seekers may ultimately qualify for refugee status, we are concerned by reported low rates of approval of refugee status.
In the spirit of constructive engagement, we recommend that Japan:
- Pass comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation including protections based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics and provide legal recognition of same-sex marriage;
- Revise the criminal code to include nonconsensual sexual acts as sexual crimes, and;
- Repeal or revise Article 4 of the Broadcast Act, which gives the government the power to regulate the content of public broadcasts.
We wish Japan a successful UPR. I thank you.
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