The Cabinet Office and various NGO groups attended a private round-table conference, held at the Cabinet Office conference room on December 26, 2002, regarding the U.N. Committee on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) successor problem. Among those who attended the conference were representatives of the JCLU, including Representative Director Yoshihiko Fuketa, Secretary General Masayoshi Iida, and Professor Kyoko Kinbara of Chiba University (JCLU Director.)
CEDAW members are neither representatives nor delegates of particular governments, but instead are experts who commit themselves to assuring enforcement of the Convention. Therefore, members must be experts in the field of women's rights who are capable of expressing opinions independent of their government policies in order to fulfill this role.
When Chikako Taya announced her retirement from the position due to her appointment as a judge for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the JCLU submitted a written inquiry to Makiko Tanaka, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Fukuda Yasuo, with the Council for Gender Equality of the Cabinet Office, in order to ascertain whom they intend to select as the next council member. This inquiry noted that Japan has always chosen present or past members of the civil service, and pointed out that appointment of such a person to the CEDAW council is possibly inappropriate and potentially harmful because members must be experts who are capable of acting independently of the government.
This conference came into fruition when the Gender Equality Bureau invited the various organizations that submitted opinions and inquiries.
Four members of the Gender Equality Bureau, including the Adjutant General, were present at the conference. NGO representatives included two lawyers from the “Forum Women and Labor 21,” Yoko Hayashi and Asami Nakano, as well as the organization's Secretary General, Mitsuko Izumi. Risa Kumamoto, the Secretary General of the International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism - Japan Committee was also in attendance.
At the conference, the Cabinet Office announced that it has received approval from the UN for the Japanese government's recommendation of Tomiko Saiga, present Consulate General of Japan in Seattle, to complete the remainder of Chikako Taya's term. It was also explained that while the selection process must remain confidential, the Cabinet Office has advised the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to recommend a person who may be active internationally from the gender point of view. The fact that civil service members are continuously selected is nothing more than coincidence, claimed the Cabinet Office.
At the conference, Representative Director Fuketa inquired about Ms. Saga's history of dedication to the area of women's rights and international human rights, and made clear his expectation that she participate in academic conferences and gatherings concerning human rights and in discussions with NGO groups.
Attorney Hayashi and others mentioned the problems associated with selecting a member of the committee under the same criteria used in selecting a delegate to protect a nation's interests. The necessity of seeking human resources from the private sector was also pointed out.
As a result of this one hour conference, the various NGOs and the government were able to present their positions regarding the roles to be performed by members of international associations and the qualities such people should possess. The members of international associations are expected to act independently of the government while the Cabinet Office represents a national instrument was made clear.
Though it is extremely rare for the government to reply to inquiries submitted by NGOs and to hold conferences to exchange opinions, we felt we were able to participate in an active and worthwhile discussion.
We are looking forward to more open discussions in the future.