Human Rights Week
OtherWhat Is Human Rights Week?
December 4th through December 10th is "Human Rights Week" in Japan. Following the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the UN General Assembly on December 10, 1948, the human rights organs of the Ministry of Justice designated the week ending on Human Rights Day, December 10th, and have observed it every year since 1949.
A Week Anchored to the Universal Declaration
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights set out the principle of respect for fundamental human rights and was the first document to state international goals and standards for their protection. Human Rights Week exists to spread that idea domestically.
- Period: December 4th to December 10th each year
- Final day: December 10th, Human Rights Day, marking the declaration's adoption
- Organizers: the human rights organs of the Ministry of Justice, with related bodies
- Since: observed annually from 1949
Not Unrelated to the Workplace
During the week, lectures, symposiums and expanded human rights consultation services are held nationwide. Harassment prevention and attention to diversity are increasingly handled as training topics at companies, and some workplaces mention Human Rights Week in internal newsletters or morning meetings, building it into the December calendar.
Tips for Marking This Day
- Read through the articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- Look up events your municipality or legal affairs bureau is holding
- Check where your workplace's harassment consultation desk is
- Reflect on whether you draw lines without realizing it
A Week to Stop and Look Once a Year
Human rights are hard to notice day to day -- precisely because they are protected as a system. The week beginning December 4th is a chance to check that footing.