Rationale & History

The formulation of comprehensive international human rights standards such as those provided by the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 1966 International Covenants on Human Rights unequivocally emphasizes that respect for human rights is a matter of international concern.

This is likewise seen in the creation of regional mechanisms for the promotion and protection of human rights as in the American Convention on Human Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights, and the African Charter on Human and People's Rights.

Asia-Pacific, on the other hand, has yet to establish a regional mechanism for human rights.

In Japan, rapid internationalization is occurring due to the growing number of people from abroad visiting and living in the country. As this cross border movement expands, cultivation of respect for different cultures becomes a pressing task. Promotion of "internal internationalization" within the individual and the community so that every community as well as every individual can accept and live with people with different cultures becomes a requirement.

In this context, the appeal in 1983 of the late Yo Kubota (a human rights officer in the United Nations who made great achievements in enhancing human rights in the world and died while on an election mission in Namibia in 1989) to set up a Human Rights Information Center in Asia finds so much relevance. He proposed to set up the institution on the "… strengths of the people and the local governing bodies."

This set the tone and the work of human rights groups in the Kansai region in Japan to study the existing human rights institutes in Europe, consult the human rights groups in Asia-Pacific, and urge the Osaka prefectural and city governments to support the establishment of such an institution. An Asia-Pacific human rights conference was held in Osaka in 1992 where the prefectural and city governments announced their commitment to provide such support.

By mid-1994, the Foundation for the Asia-Pacific Human Rights Information Center was established jointly supported by the Osaka prefecture, Osaka city, several non-governmental organizations, and various other organizations and individuals.

The decade-long effort finally bore fruit with the official opening of the Asia-Pacific Human Rights Information Center, or HURIGHTS OSAKA, in Osaka city in December of 1994.

Goals

HURIGHTS OSAKA aims to achieve the following goals: ...

Activities

HURIGHTS OSAKA engages in the following activities:

1. Information Handling - collection of basic international human rights documents; information on social, economic and cultural situations in the Asia-Pacific; and materials on human rights education;
2. Research - study in collaboration with experts in Japan and other countries in the region on a range of issues such as marginalization of indigenous peoples, minorities, refugees, migrant workers and other vulnerable groups; discrimination based on social status; and development and human rights;
3. Education and Training - setting up of human rights education program for those concerned with human rights issues in the region. This includes education and training for citizens and private and public corporations in Japan;
4. Publication - production of materials either in English or Japanese languages such as newsletters, booklets, journal, occasional papers, annual activity reports, audio-visuals, and other research materials;
5. Consultancy - provision of advisory services on human rights programs and research. 

Beneficiaries

HURIGHTS OSAKA aims to provide services to:

1. marginalized communities;
2. national non-governmental organizations;
3. general public;
4. central and local governments;
5. human rights experts;
6. members of the mass-media; and
7. international and regional human rights organizations.