Nuclear News Headlines
On 5/12/2013, honorary director of Hokkaido cancer center, Nishio commented primary radiology will no longer be developed in Japan. He had a speech in Koriyama city Fukushima.
He stated,
Primary radiology is not profitable, most of the universities stopped investing into the study since Japanese national universities became independent administrative corporation. Radiation Effects Research Foundation dominated the study by spending budget of the ministries. However, they only employ the researchers from “pro-nuclear” side. Primary radiology can’t be expected to develop as science anymore.
Last Autumn, a person from Fukushima died. He left his will to offer his organs for dissection of primary radiology.
However there is no institute to dissect his organs and analyze for radionuclides in Japan.
Special thanks → http://kiikochan.blog136.fc2.com/blog-entry-2985.html
Iori Mochizuki
I appreciate your support.
Registration of Fukushima Diary headquarters is completed.
According to Tepco, they had 27.5 m3 of contaminated water overflowed from the tank of reactor5 and 6.
Tepco states Cs-137 and total β were lower than the detectable levels, and the water didn’t reach the Pacific ocean because the tank is 100m from the sea, which is supposed to be far enough for some reason. Cs-134 level and other nuclide levels are not reported.
They forgot to switch the tanks to cause overflow, they report.
The press release is below,
At around 8:55 AM today (May 17), a TEPCO employee on patrol found water overflowing from the upper part of Units 5-6 RO treated water tank at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.
The leakage has stopped after closing the valve at 9:00 AM.
The leaked water has been absorbed into the ground (gravels) in the surrounding area and the leakage amount is estimated to be approx. 27m3.The water leaked is usually scattered within the power station site and the γ density and all β density of the water are below the detection limits (based on the sampling results obtained yesterday). Sampling of the water will be performed to ensure safety.
Cesium 137 detection limit: 1.5×10-3Bq/cm3
All β detection limit: 2.3×10-2Bq/cm3
This is follow-up information regarding the water leakage from the Units 5-6 RO treated water tank (D7) at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.
As a result of site inspection, the leakage area was found to be about 3m x about 20m. The leakage amount is estimated to be 27.5 m3 based on the water levels of the D7 tank up to yesterday and the transfer amount of treated water.
Although the leaked treated water has been absorbed into the ground, we consider that the leaked water will not flow into the sea because there are no side ditches near the location of the leakage, and because the source of the leakage is more than 100 m away from the sea.
The treated water leakage was caused by overflow from the D7 tank, which is attributed to a failure to perform an operation to switch tanks from the D7 tank to the D8 tank, among eight treated water tanks (D1-D8) in total, while this operation was to be performed yesterday.
The sampling results obtained yesterday for treated water having overflowed from the D7 tank are below the detection limits. However, sampling of the water will be performed again to ensure safety.
Information previously announced today has been corrected as follows:
(Incorrect) “a TEPCO employee on patrol found”
(Correct) “a TEPCO employee preparing for yard watering found”
This is follow-up information regarding the water leakage from the Units 5-6 RO treated water tank (D7) at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.
As a result of sampling performed on the treated water in D7 tank today, γ density and all β density were below the detection limits.
- Cesium 137 (representative γnuclide) detection limit: 1.5×10-3Bq/cm3
- All β detection limit: 2.4×10-2Bq/cm3We will explain about the leakage at the regular press conference to be held today.
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/2013/1227404_5130.html
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/2013/1227421_5130.html
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/2013/1227422_5130.html
http://www.tepco.co.jp/nu/fukushima-np/handouts/2013/images/handouts_130517_10-j.pdf
Iori Mochizuki
I appreciate your support.
Registration of Fukushima Diary headquarters is completed.
Since 5/14/2013, Fukushima Diary has been reporting the unusual increase of temperature in reactor1.
(cf, Reactor1 reaching 49℃, increased by 3℃ within 24 hours [URL])
On 5/17/2013, Tepco reported the temperature increased just after they injected nitrogen gas into PCV.
(cf, Tepco to restart nitrogen gas injection into reactor1 [URL 2])
However last year, reactor1 temperature decreased when they injected nitrogen gas, which is the opposite reaction from now.
According to the minutes of mid/long term Fukushima measures meeting held on 10/22/2012, Tepco is aware of this strange connection between nitrogen gas injection and the temperature but doesn’t know how it affects.
(cf, Tepco reported they don’t know why nitrogen injection decreases the temperature of reactor1 [URL 3])
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/handouts/2013/images/handouts_130517_07-e.pdf
Iori Mochizuki
I appreciate your support.
Registration of Fukushima Diary headquarters is completed.
ZDF Asia Bureau Chief Johannes Hano discovered this hot spot at the Fukushima City train station. They initially told local authorities about the hot spot three months ago when they first discovered it. The local government did nothing.
Hano said via twitter that they confronted the local authorities again urging them to do something about the hot spot. This time officials said they would “act immediately”. It remains to be seen if the local government will do anything.
Hano also said the hot spot is near an area that many people including children walk past while using the train station.
While the government is declaring everything back to normal, people are finding things that show otherwise. Fukushima City is about 50 miles away from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
Johannes Hano’s twitter page: https://twitter.com/JohannesHano
This article would not be possible without the extensive efforts of the SimplyInfo research team
Join the conversation at chat.simplyinfo.org
All content is copyright ...
In order to purify the increasing contaminated water, Tepco is planning to install ALPS (Advanced Liquid Processing System).
The system is to remove 62 sorts of multiple radionuclides including Sr-90.
They started the test operation on 3/30/2013.
6 weeks have passed and the radiation level is significantly increasing around the facility already.
According to Tepco, the atmospheric dose was lower than 1μSv/h before the performance test.
On 5/14/2013, they measured 20 ~ 70 μSv/h beside the equipment.
On 5/16/2013, they measured 20 μSv/h on the North East side of the area.
Tepco states it doesn’t affect the works around the facility.
http://www.tepco.co.jp/nu/fukushima-np/handouts/2013/images/handouts_130517_04-j.pdf
Related article..[Checkmate] Atmospheric dose in plant area jumps up by 6.4mSv/y for direct radiation from contaminated water [URL 2]
Iori Mochizuki
I appreciate your support.
Registration of Fukushima Diary headquarters is completed.
Tepco injected nitrogen gas into the suppression chamber of reactor2 from 5/14 to 5/17/2013.
(cf, Tepco to start nitrogen gas injection into reactor2 for the first time, “Not knowing the hydrogen gas concentration” [URL])
(cf, [Reactor2] Air pressure of Suppression Chamber was lower than Dry Well, “can’t purge hydrogen gas” [URL])
In order to purge hydrogen gas from suppression chamber, which may cause hydrogen gas explosion, Tepco has been injecting nitrogen gas into reactor1 however this is their first time to attempt injecting nitrogen gas into reactor2 suppression chamber.
Because they don’t even know the hydrogen gas concentration in suppression chamber of reactor2, Tepco tried to purge it to dry well.
However, they didn’t detect any change in hydrogen gas concentration after nitrogen gas injection. Now even the presence of hydrogen gas in suppression chamber is questionable.
By this moment of 5/17/2013, still it’s a mystery how the inside of reactor2 is.
http://www.tepco.co.jp/nu/fukushima-np/handouts/2013/images/handouts_130517_11-j.pdf
Iori Mochizuki
I appreciate your support.
Registration of Fukushima Diary headquarters is completed.
Published on 16 May 2013
The London offices of BP and Shell have been raided by European regulators….
WEBSITE: SOTT.NET
SOURCE CREDITS: Rupert Neate and Terry Macalister of The Guardian
PHOTO CREDIT: © Eric Piermont/AFP/Getty Images
NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT is EVER INTENDED. I take no credit for the article or the photos at all…
correction: I said LAKE, I meant to say Lord …oops! I apologize for this error.
“..BP said: “BP is one of the companies that is subject to an investigation that was announced by the European commission. We are co-operating fully with the investigation and unable to comment further at this time.”
Statoil, which is 67%-owned by the Norwegian government, said: “The authorities suspect participation by several companies, including Statoil, in anti-competitive agreements and/or concerted practices contrary to Article 53 of the European Economic Area (EEA) [market manipulation].
“The suspected violations are related to the Platts’ Market-On-Close (MOC) price assessment process, used to report prices in particular for crude oil, refined oil products and biofuels, and may have been ongoing since 2002.” ….”
ARTICLE LINK: http://www.sott.net/article/261898-BP…
Norway’s Petroleum Safety Authority in danger of going soft on environmental crime
http://www.bellona.org/articles/articles_2013/PSA_environmental_crime
Bellona is calling for a debate on the role of Norway’s Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) amid suggestions that only pressure from supervisory bodies compel the government agency to pursue critical legal investigations of environmental crimes.
Several incidents over the past decade that only narrowly avoided becoming serious accidents for Norway’s offshore industry have shown the PSA to be at best overly indulgent of the Norwegian oil industry, and at worst seemingly willfully blind to its missteps.
On an international level, these may seems surprising revelations, given PSA’s well-deserved reputation of one of the best petroleum oversight agencies in the world. But there is still room for improvement, says Bellona.
Bellona advisor Karl Kristensen said that Norway’s Climate and Pollution Agency as well as prosecutors themselves underscored the importance of police investigations and prosecutions of environmental crimes, a topic that was discussed during a Bellona seminar in April.
“Bellona recognized that PSA is undersized in relation to the audit tasks required of it,” said Kristensen. “The increase of funding [to the authority] in recent years has not kept pace with the increase in jobs. Because of this Bellona has requested doubling the PSA budget .
Kristensen noted, however, that such reinforcements would be ineffectual if PSA is reluctant to fulfill its mandate. Kristensen said that “PSA’s lack of willingness to use the strictest measures, as far as Bellona can tell, are unparalleled in Norwegian management practices, which shows an excessively strong and naïve belief in dialogue as the only significant measure.”
Bellona wants PSA to monitor its own obligations in a clearer and more consistent manner. “Our requirements for the use of police reports when justified is thus only a single element of such a change of course,” said Kristensen. “In addition, we want that offshore operations that experience serious and undesired events be stopped until the causes of the events can be determined,” he said.
When investigations further reveal serious regulatory breaches there must also be consequences for the responsible companies both in financial terms and in terms of future operations permits, he said.
One example of such oversights by PSA was September 4’s incident aboard the Scarabeo 8 rig in the Barents Sea. According to an internal report by Eni Norge and Eni Sapiem the Scarebeo 8 rig the were operating for drilling operations developed a list of seven degrees caused by the inadvertent filling of a ballast tank.
Though this constituted a gross violation of regulations and evidenced serious technical defects, the rig was allowed to continue drilling operations, pointing to a culture of turning a blind eye to grave potential problems within PSA.
Not only supervisory bodies, but onshore industries and prosecutors have called for stricter control and a more systematic application of sanctions. When Bellona held gathered involved parties at its April seminar on environmental crime, it urged Økokrim, Norway’s national authority for investigating and prosecuting economic and environmental crimes, to continue to report cases of ecological felonies.
“It is pointless to argue that petroleum is so different from other industries that comparisons are impossible,” said Kristensen. “There are numerous Norwegian land-based industrial plants that are of similar complexity and pose similar risk profiles to offshore installations. There is not a lot of distance between regulations that govern on and offshore industry.”
Specific regulations governing the safe operation of offshore operations are derived from the same laws governing similar efforts on land. Both sets of regulations come from identical principles and mindsets, including requirements for internal control and continuous improvement.
Function-based regulatory requirements make it difficult to identify criminal violations. But the fines handed down to Norway’s Statoil for incidents at its Snorre A, Statfjord, and particularly the near-miss in 2010 that occurred at the state company’s Gullfaks C platform – which drew the second largest environmental fine ever imposed in Norway – show that identifying these criminal violations is far from impossible.
In May 2010, the Gullfaks C platform experienced an incident with a pipe that allowed liquids from a well being drilled to leak into the formation that was being drilled. Hydrocarbons streamed into the well, forming gas that reached the platform. An evacuation of 89 non-critical people from the platform was initiated as the situation continued to worsen throughout the day.
Investigations revealed that the potential explosive problem could have been foreseen: Prior to the platform’s evacuation a number of problems with pressure increases in the annulus outside the well were noticed, as well as loss of drilling fluid and gas ingress. The PSA’s investigative report also revealed that gas levels just before 6 p.m. on May 20, 2010 were so high that drilling mud was circulating upward, creating the possibility of an explosion.
Snorre A was also a catastrophe narrowly averted. The Norwegian platform experienced an incident in 2004 that put it imminent danger of a gas explosion.
Statoil was fined 80 million kroner ($13.8 million) for the Snorre A incident, and 30,000 million kroner ($5.5 million) for the Gullfaks C incident, though the fine would have been higher if the Gullfaks C investigation had not taken so long.
But Bellona does not believe that such fines are an argument for not following up on criminal regulations, a lapse that PSA’s behavior has contributed to.
On this basis, Bellona views as paradoxical that the PSA on the one hand describes itself as a world leader in health and environmental safety at the same time that its behavior continues to reflect the Climate and Pollution Agency 20 years ago. That agency, on the contrary, today shows that it is possible to combine dialogue-based supervision with a willingness to impose criminal sanctions for serious regulatory violations when necessary.
“The times that the Climate and Pollution Agency operated as being kind to a fault and as an indulgent uncle to the industries it was appointed to supervise are over,” said Kristensen. “It is high time that PSA follow this example.”
Charles Digges contributed to this article.
Image source ; http://mojosteve.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/crazy-ivans-spotted-off-folly-beach.html
From the man at the gates 
http://ex-skf.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/us-state-departments-response-to-osaka.html
A reporter from Asahi Shinbun went to the daily briefing at the State Department on May 16, 2013 and asked questions to the spokesperson Jen Psaki.
What do you think of Mayor Hashimoto’s comments?
What do you think, were those women “comfort women” or “sex slaves”?
(Oh boy.)
From the US Department of State Daily Briefings transcript for May 16, 2013:
QUESTION: Hi, my name is Takashi from Japanese newspaper Asahi. Osaka City Mayor Hashimoto recently made a comment on the so-called “comfort women” issue, arguing that even though it is unacceptable from the moral perspective value, but the comfort women were necessary during the war period. And he also argued that it is not fair that only Japan is criticized by the United States and other countries, because there are other country military that were provided sexual service by prostitute. And do U.S. has any position on his comment or criticism against the United States?
MS. PSAKI: We have seen, of course, those comments. Mayor Hashimoto’s comments were outrageous and offensive. As the United States has stated previously, what happened in that era to these women who were trafficked for sexual purposes is deplorable and clearly a grave human rights violation of enormous proportions. We extend, again, our sincere and deep sympathy to the victims, and we hope that Japan will continue to work with its neighbors to address this and other issues arising from the past and cultivate relationships that allow them to move forward.
QUESTION: Do you describe this issue sex slave or comfort women?
MS. PSAKI: Again, I don’t know that I’m going to define it. You kind of laid out the specific details there, and we have described this issue in the past as comfort women[ii].
What is the footnote ii? Well I am afraid even the Asahi reporter managed to piss off the State Department (emphasis below is mine):
[ii] Rather than focusing on the label placed on these victims, we prefer to address the fact that this was a grave human rights violation of enormous proportions. The United States is also committed to working with our partners and allies around the world to denounce modern-day slavery and trafficking in persons no matter where it occurs.
これらの被害者につけられたラベル［慰安婦（Comfort women)か性の奴隷（Sex slaves）か］にこだわるよりも、私たちは、これが、重大で恐ろしく大規模な人権の蹂躙であったという事実に向き合う[事実を扱う］方を好む。アメリ カ合衆国はまた、世界のパートナーや同盟諸国と共に、世界のどこであろうと現在存在する奴隷制度、人身取引を強く非難する。
I couldn't believe it until I read several articles by the Japanese media and tweets by some Japanese, but some people in Japan do seem to think if those women were called "comfort women", somehow they were part of the legitimate business. And they are shocked that foreign media portrays these women as "sex slaves". Thus the Asahi reporter asked that question.
If you start to believe in your own shit (often called "tatemae" in Japanese, literally "a facade"), you are toast. But many Japanese do not even know that any more. Lost art of tatemae and honne.
Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Seiji Ozawa, excellent interpretation - lyrical but not overly dramatic, clean.
(I am playing this on Friday night (second violin, principal), and have been busy doing the rehearsals. Sorry I haven't been able to post much because of that.)
Below is a list of the organisations that spoke out in defence of the children of Fukushima.No individual countries made any statement concerning the Fukushima disaster and the plight of local residence at the UN meeting.
Save the Children International appreciated the acceptance by Japan of recommendations relating to the ratification of the third Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and to the adoption of measures to protect the right to health of Fukushima residents. Japan should facilitate and encourage democratic deliberations to implement the act on the protection and support for the children and other victims of the TEPCO disaster.
Reporters Without Borders International said that Japan, which could be proud about the freedom of press, had experienced a free fall in the ranking compiled by Reporters Without Borders, due to lack of information available about the accident at Fukushima. It was hoped that Japan would respect the right of its citizens to information.
Human Rights Now urged Japan to implement the recommendation concerning the protection of the right to life and health of the people affected by the nuclear accident in Fukushima. The response of the Government was not sufficient and Japan should provide sufficient compensation and support for the relocation of people living in contaminated areas.
Japanese Association for the Right to Freedom of Speech said that during the consideration of its Universal Periodic Review report in October 2012, Japan had made a deceptive reply regarding the issue of political tract distribution. This type of detention violated the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
TAKASHI OKADA, Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said
With regard to the Fukushima disaster, the Government had provided financial and medical support to Fukushima residents. Japan would spare no effort in making further improvements in its situation of human rights.
The Council then adopted the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review of Japan.
http://www.ohchr.org/CH/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=13142&LangID=E
[Editors note] The Japanese delegation had made this statement on the 14 March 2013. This document of the summary of that meeting was placed on a Chinese speaking part of the UN website.
In this document we find this statement;
[...]Takashi Okada, Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said that out of the 174 recommendations it had received, Japan had agreed to follow up or partially follow up on 125 of them, including those promoting the protection of the rights of women, children, and persons with disabilities, but was unable to accept 26 of the recommendations. Regarding the remaining 23 recommendations, Japan already had sufficient measures in place to address the issues raised by those.
[...]
http://www.ohchr.org/CH/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=13142&LangID=E
Japan imprisons professor who opposes radiation management
Radioactive contamination has not been properly dealt with at all, and the contamination is being spread through the circulation of food and other goods. In the midst of this situation, the government lies about “insufficient electricity” to try to continue using nuclear power plants. This is nothing but insanity.
Every day I look at my students and wonder what sort of world they will live in when these 20-year-olds turn forty like me
http://nuclear-news.net/2012/12/17/japan-imprisons-professor-who-opposes-radiation-management/
Letter From Hiroshi Hoshi the Japanese man arrested for helping animals from radiation!
(Source)
https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-hachiko-coalition-page/letter-from-hiroshi-hoshi/542703292441060
Friday, 29 March 2013
http://www.change.org/petitions/free-hiroshi-hoshi-and-leo-hoshi-fukushima-animal-rescuers
This letter is from Hiroshi Hoshi who wanted to share it on Facebook. 
Image source ; http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/asia/article2946282.ece
“….We were transferred from Nihonmatsu police station to the Fukushima prison custody section on March 21, 2013. Our trial will start on March 27th.
It is involuntary for us but we will admit what we have done but we will also defend the legitimacy of our activities.
We heard that there was somebody, who had worked with Hoshi family before, who said that “the Hoshi’s were arrested because of their own fault”.
I am shocked by this person’s comment who had worked with the Hoshi family. It is something comparable to abandoning a comrade. It is not only about Fukushima, but I feel many Japanese people are in a fog about many issues.
Government’s “consultation” on mining in Woomera more like a ram raid Australian Greens nuclear policy spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam. 17 May 2013. The Federal Government made a mockery of public consultation by allowing three working days for initial submissions on opening up the Woomera Prohibited Area to miners, Greens Senator Scott Ludlam said today.
“On Wednesday 8 May Defence Minister Stephen Smith and resources Minister Gary Gray released the draft exposure of legislation to increase access to Woomera Prohibited Area to miners, and three working days later on 13 May the submission period closed. It’s not good enough,” said Senator Ludlam.
“Lawyers representing the Maralinga people, who in addition to being the Traditional Owners own approximately 40,000sqkm of freehold land in the area, advise that they have not been consulted on this legislation despite approaching the Defence Minister on the issue in July 2011.
“It is a relatively short amendment at nine pages but it is high-impact legislation. This area has an estimated 78 per cent of Australia’s known uranium reserves. The implications are massive.
“After years of review and the production of an 82 page report, we do not want to see a long process brought to an abrupt and shallow end.”
A reporter from Asahi Shinbun went to the daily briefing at the State Department on May 16, 2013 and asked questions to the spokesperson Jen Psaki.
What do you think of Mayor Hashimoto's comments?
What do you think, were those women "comfort women" or "sex slaves"?
(Oh boy.)
From the US Department of State Daily Briefings transcript for May 16, 2013:
QUESTION: Hi, my name is Takashi from Japanese newspaper Asahi. Osaka City Mayor Hashimoto recently made a comment on the so-called “comfort women” issue, arguing that even though it is unacceptable from the moral perspective value, but the comfort women were necessary during the war period. And he also argued that it is not fair that only Japan is criticized by the United States and other countries, because there are other country military that were provided sexual service by prostitute. And do U.S. has any position on his comment or criticism against the United States?
MS. PSAKI: We have seen, of course, those comments. Mayor Hashimoto’s comments were outrageous and offensive. As the United States has stated previously, what happened in that era to these women who were trafficked for sexual purposes is deplorable and clearly a grave human rights violation of enormous proportions. We extend, again, our sincere and deep sympathy to the victims, and we hope that Japan will continue to work with its neighbors to address this and other issues arising from the past and cultivate relationships that allow them to move forward.
QUESTION: Do you describe this issue sex slave or comfort women?
MS. PSAKI: Again, I don’t know that I’m going to define it. You kind of laid out the specific details there, and we have described this issue in the past as comfort women[ii].
What is the footnote ii? Well I am afraid even the Asahi reporter managed to piss off the State Department (emphasis below is mine):
[ii] Rather than focusing on the label placed on these victims, we prefer to address the fact that this was a grave human rights violation of enormous proportions. The United States is also committed to working with our partners and allies around the world to denounce modern-day slavery and trafficking in persons no matter where it occurs.
これらの被害者につけられたラベル［慰安婦（Comfort women)か性の奴隷（Sex slaves）か］にこだわるよりも、私たちは、これが、重大で恐ろしく大規模な人権の蹂躙であったという事実に向き合う[事実を扱う］方を好む。アメリカ合衆国はまた、世界のパートナーや同盟諸国と共に、世界のどこであろうと現在存在する奴隷制度、人身取引を強く非難する。
I couldn't believe it until I read several articles by the Japanese media and tweets by some Japanese, but some people in Japan do seem to think if those women were called "comfort women", somehow they were part of the legitimate business. And they are shocked that foreign media portrays these women as "sex slaves". Thus the Asahi reporter asked that question.
If you start to believe in your own shit (often called "tatemae" in Japanese, literally "a facade"), you are toast. But many Japanese do not even know that any more. Lost art of tatemae and honne.
Greetings!
I thought you should know that today was a significant day in the saga of San Onofre. Thanks to the tremendous support we got over the past 2 weeks, we were able to submit 3,706 signatures to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. At the same time we managed to dominate (if you call 54% dominating) a Union Tribune poll on the question of a shutdown, regardless of Edison pulling every string they could to stay ahead. I don't think I've ever seen so much action on a poll like this, with over 10,000 votes and 366 comments.
During this brief but intense period our list of subscribers has nearly doubled to 4,709. All of this has been an impressive response from citizens concerned about a reckless restart, and the prospect of running a nuclear experiment with defective equipment in a population of over 8 million people. Let's hope the trend continues to grow as this important restart decision draws near. We'll report back on any results or new developments from this effort.
Most importantly, we just want to say thanks for uniting in such a powerful way in the past few days and weeks. You are an inspiration to the entire movement. Let's keep the momentum building. Thank you!
|
In January, it seemed the restart of San Onofre Unit 2 would be a corporate cake walk.
With its massive money and clout, Southern California Edison
was ready to ram through a license exception for a reactor whose botched $770 million steam generator fix had kept it shut for a year.
But a funny thing has happened on the way to the restart: a No Nukes groundswell has turned this routine rubber stamping into an epic battle the grassroots just might win.
May 16, 2013
New evidence exposes more major safety concerns
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the heels of a pointed ruling by a panel of judges against Southern California Edison’s scheme to rush the experimental restart of a severely damaged reactor at San Onofre, elected officials have joined Friends of the Earth in demanding that there be no restart decision until the Nuclear Regulatory Commission holds a formal adjudicatory public hearing with testimony from local citizens and expert witnesses.
Contact:
Kendra Ulrich (216) 571 7340, kulrich@foe.org
Shaun Burnie (202) 251-1862, sburnie@foe.org
California officials join Friends of the Earth to demand formal public hearings
…..With regard to the Fukushima disaster, the Government had provided financial and medical support to Fukushima residents. Japan would spare no effort in making further improvements in its situation of human rights…….
Image source ; http://www.dianuke.org/tepcos-radioactive-lies-the-arsonist-investigating-the-fire/
BACKGROUND RELEASE
25 April 2013
Experts to Review Reports of Japan, Iran, Jamaica, Azerbaijan, Togo, Rwanda and Denmark
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights will meet at the Palais Wilson in Geneva from 29 April to 17 May to examine measures taken by Japan, Iran, Jamaica, Azerbaijan, Togo, Rwanda and Denmark to comply with the standards of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
The session will be opened on Monday, 29 April with an address from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights or her representative. The Committee will then elect its Chairperson and Bureau, adopt its agenda and discuss organizational matters and its methods of work. In the afternoon meeting, the Committee will hear information from non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutions with respect to the reports that it will review during the session.
Six of the seven countries presenting reports have been reviewed by the Committee before. Japan is presenting its third periodic report (E/C.12/JPN/3) and the Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the second periodic report, reviewed in September 2001, can be found in (E/C.12/1/Add.67). Iran is presenting its second periodic report (E/C.12/IRN/2) and the Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the initial report, reviewed in May 1993, can be found in (E/C.12/1993/7).
Jamaica is presenting its combined third and fourth periodic report (E/C.12/JAM/3-4), and the Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the second periodic report, which was reviewed in November 2001, can be found in (E/C.12/1/Add.75). The Committee is considering the third periodic report of Azerbaijan (E/C.12/AZE/3) and its concluding observations and recommendations on the second periodic report, which was considered in December 2004, can be found in (E/C.12/1/Add.104).
Rwanda is presenting its combined second to fourth periodic report (E/C.12/RWA/2-4), and the Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the initial report, which was reviewed in February 1989, can be found in (E/C.12/1989/5).
Denmark is presenting its fifth periodic report (E/C12/DNK/5), and the Committee’s concluding observations and recommendations on the fourth periodic report, which was considered in December2004, can be found in (E/C.12/1/Add.102).
Togo is presenting its initial report.
The main documents before the Committee in respect to these countries are accessible from the Committee’s web page for the current session. At the end of the session, the concluding observations of the Committee on each State party will also be accessible on this site.
The dialogues are also webcast (in one language) at http://www.treatybodywebcast.org/ where archives are also available.
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
The General Assembly adopted and opened the Covenant for signature, ratification and accession in 1966. It entered into force on 3 January 1976.
Article 1 of the Covenant states that the right to self-determination is universal, and calls upon States to promote the realization and respect of that right. Article 3 reaffirms the equal right of men and women to the enjoyment of all human rights and enjoins States to make that principle a reality. Articles 4 and 5 provides safeguards against the destruction or undue limitation of any human right or fundamental freedom, and against misinterpretation of any provision of the Covenant as a means of justifying infringement of a right or freedom or its restriction to a greater extent than provided in the Covenant. They also prevent States from limiting rights already enjoyed within their territories on the ground that such rights are not recognized, or recognized to a lesser extent, in the Covenant.
Articles 6 to 15 recognize the right to work; to the enjoyment of just and favourable conditions of work; to form and join trade unions; to social security, including social insurance; to the widest possible protection and assistance for the family, mothers, children and younger persons; to an adequate standard of living; to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; to an education and to take part in cultural life.
The Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights is an international treaty establishing complaint and inquiry mechanisms for the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 2008, and opened for signature on 24 September 2009. As of 5 February, the Optional Protocol has 42 signatories and 10 Parties, having been ratified by Argentina, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mongolia, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Uruguay. It will enter into force on 5 May 2013.
States Parties to the Covenant
The Covenant has been ratified or acceded to by 160 States: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
The Committee is composed of the following 18 Experts: Aslan Khuseinovich Abashidze (Russian Federation); Mohamed Ezzeldin Adel-Moneim (Egypt); Clement Atangana (Cameroon); Maria-Virginia Bras Gomes (Portugal); Jun Cong (China); Chandrashekhar Dasgupta (India); Zdzislaw Kedzia (Poland); Azzouz Kerdoun (Algeria); Mikel Mancisidor (Spain); Jaime Marchan Romero (Ecuador); Sergei Martynov (Belarus); Ariranga Govindasamy Pillay (Mauritius);Lydia Carmelita Ravenberg (Suriname); Renato Zerbini Ribeiro Leao (Brazil); Waleed Sadi (Jordan); Nikolaas Jan Schrijver (Netherlands); Heisoo Shin (Republic of Korea); and Alvaro Tirado Mejia (Colombia).
Programme of Work
Monday, 29 April
10 a.m. Opening of session
3 p.m. Meeting with non-governmental organizations
Tuesday, 30 April
10 a.m. Third periodic report of Japan
3 p.m. Japan (continued)
Wednesday, 1 May
10 a.m. Second periodic report of Iran
3 p.m. Iran (continued)
Thursday, 2 May
10 a.m. Third to fourth periodic report of Jamaica
3 p.m. Jamaica (continued)
Friday, 3 May
10 a.m. Third periodic report of Azerbaijan
3 p.m. Azerbaijan (continued)
Monday, 6 May
10 a.m. Meeting with non-governmental organizations
3 p.m. Initial report of Togo
Tuesday, 7 May
10 a.m. Togo (continued)
3 p.m. Togo (continued)
Wednesday, 8 May
10 a.m. Second to fourth periodic report of Rwanda
3 p.m. Rwanda (continued)
Thursday, 9 May
Official United Nations Holiday
Friday, 10 May
10 a.m. Fifth periodic report of Denmark
3 p.m. Denmark (continued)
Friday, 17 May
10 a.m. (closed)
p.m. Public closing of the session
__________
For use of the information media; not an official record
http://www.ohchr.org/AR/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=13266&LangID=C
AFTERNOON
14 March 2013
The Human Rights Council this afternoon adopted the outcomes of the Universal Periodic Review of Pakistan, Zambia and Japan.
Zamir Akram, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said that Pakistan received 166 recommendations of which it supported 126 and noted 34. In regard to the seven recommendations that were not accepted, there was no national consensus on the repeal of blasphemy laws and the repeal of the death penalty was a matter for Parliament. The ascension to international human rights instruments was examined under a constant and gradual process, where implementation was considered in terms of consistency with national law and financial implications.
During the discussion on Pakistan, speakers appreciated efforts to ensure the economic and social rights of the population, including the reduction of poverty and improvement of education. Pakistan had made efforts to ensure the realization of women’s rights and the rights of persons with disabilities. Speakers took note of the efforts to eradicate terrorism, guarantee rights of religious minorities and ensure access to education. The Government should take steps to prosecute those taking part in religious acts of violence and step up efforts to fight discrimination and violence against minorities.
The Council then adopted the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review of Pakistan.
Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Morocco, Myanmar, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Thailand, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela spoke on Pakistan.
The following non-governmental organizations also took the floor: Human Rights Watch, International Federation of Human Rights Leagues, Amnesty International, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, United Nations Watch, World Environment and Resources Council, International Commission of Jurists, Action Canada for Population and Development, Fondazione Marista per la Solidarietà Internazionale ONLUS and Jubilee Campaign.
Musa Mwene, Solicitor General of Zambia, said that Zambia had received 125 recommendations and had immediately accepted 70 and rejected one. Fifty-four recommendations had been deferred and after the consultation at the highest level of the Government, 33 of those had been rejected. Recommendations that would interfere with the ongoing process of constitutional review were rejected and those included abolition of the death penalty, decriminalization of same-sex relations among consenting adults and recognition of marital rape as a criminal offence.
Regarding the Universal Periodic Review of Zambia, speakers noted with satisfaction the many efforts to promote and protect human rights and congratulated Zambia on its protection of persons with disabilities and the eradication of sexual violence. They invited the international community to provide Zambia with the necessary resources and technical assistance to assist it in the implementation of the recommendations it had accepted in its Universal Periodic Review process. Zambia should review the definition of the child and the minimum age of criminal responsibility and ensure access to easy and effective birth registration.
The Council then adopted the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review of Zambia.
Speaking in the discussion on Zambia were Burkina Faso, Cuba, Gabon, Morocco, South Africa, Philippines, Sudan, Thailand, Togo, Algeria and Botswana. Association of the Community of Pope John XXIII, Save the Children, Edmund Rice International, Rencontre Africaine pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme and Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection also took the floor.
Takashi Okada, Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said that out of the 174 recommendations it had received, Japan had agreed to follow up or partially follow up on 125 of them, including those promoting the protection of the rights of women, children, and persons with disabilities, but was unable to accept 26 of the recommendations. Regarding the remaining 23 recommendations, Japan already had sufficient measures in place to address the issues raised by those.
Speakers said that Japan had made significant achievements in disaster reduction policies, upholding rights of the child and persons with disabilities and combating human trafficking. Japan should take sincere measures to address the issue of “comfort women” and accept the responsibility for Japan’s military sexual slavery system. Speakers deeply regretted that Japan rejected the recommendation to establish a moratorium on executions.
The Council then adopted the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review of Japan.
Participating in the discussion on Japan were Iran, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Thailand, Viet Nam, Algeria, Botswana and China. The following non-governmental organizations also took the floor: International Federation for Human Rights Leagues, Amnesty International, Save the Children International, International Lesbian and Gay Association,Istituto Internazionale Maria Ausiliatrice delle Salesiane di Don Bosco,Reporters Without Borders International, International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism, Human Rights Now and Japanese Association for the Right to Freedom of Speech.
The Council will meet at 10 a.m. on Friday, 15 March to consider the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review of Peru and Sri Lanka, followed by a general debate on the Universal Periodic Review.
Consideration of Outcome of Universal Periodic Review of Pakistan
ZAMIR AKRAM, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said Pakistan attached great importance to the Universal Periodic Review and the interactive dialogue allowed for highlighting significant strides made to promote and protect human rights as well as taking stock of challenges. In total, Pakistan had received 166 recommendations and following consideration, 126 had the support of the Government. Of these 73 were either implemented or on the road to implementation, and 34 had been noted, subject to the outcome of consultations. In regard to the seven recommendations that were not accepted, there was no national consensus on the repeal of blasphemy laws and the repeal of the death penalty was a matter for Parliament. It was important to note that Pakistan’s ascension to international human rights instruments, as recommended, was examined under a constant and gradual process, where implementation was considered in terms of consistency with national law and financial implications. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women had acknowledged the resolve of the Pakistani Government on the issue of women’s rights and the new Free and Compulsory Education Bill allowed for education for all children. There was no organized intolerance of minority groups and acts that had taken place were on the basis of personal animosity. Steps had been taken to strengthen democracy and ensure free and fair elections.
Indonesia said that Pakistan’s genuine commitment to human rights was commendable and that the acceptance of 126 recommendations was solid evidence of this. The Universal Periodic Review had been a catalyst to bring about positive changes in policy, legislation and practice in Pakistan. Indonesia strongly believed that a process of consultation and dissemination with various stakeholders should be carried out to follow-up on recommendations.
Iran commended the active participation of Pakistan in the Universal Periodic Review process and welcomed its constructive engagement with the Council. It appreciated Pakistan’s efforts to ensure the economic and social rights of its people, including the reduction of poverty and improvement of education by extending financial and human resources for literacy programmes.
Malaysia commended Pakistan for its transparent and forthcoming engagement and its willingness to accept a large number of recommendations, including a recommendation made by Malaysia. It recognised that challenges still remained, and in this regard encouraged Pakistan to strengthen its efforts at ensuring the enjoyment of human rights for all its citizens.
Morocco said that Pakistan had accepted most of the recommendations addressed to it, demonstrating its commitment to the Universal Periodic Review process. Pakistan had made efforts to bring its legislation in line with its international obligations, particularly in terms of helping women and persons with disabilities realize their rights. Morocco encouraged Pakistan to persevere in implementing its recommendations.
Myanmar expressed its appreciation to Pakistan for its constructive and active participation in the second cycle of the Universal Periodic Review process. Myanmar was pleased to note that Pakistan had accepted a large number of recommendations made by countries, including Myanmar.
Philippines said that it encouraged Pakistan to continue its transparent and constructive engagement with the Council, and welcomed Pakistan’s continued adherence to the protection of human rights for its own people and for the three million refugees it was hosting.
Qatar said Pakistan was committed to taking on recommendations and cooperating with human rights mechanisms and praised its efforts to protect human rights despite immense challenges encountered in its country. Pakistan’s role as Coordinator of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Group was also appreciated.
Russian Federation noted with satisfaction that Pakistan had adopted most of the recommendations, including those recommended by Russia, showing its commitment to human rights.
Saudi Arabia said Pakistan had shown its position to be very positive in relation to the Human Rights Council and had proven its willingness to cooperate on an ongoing basis. The country had attempted to develop its human rights legislation, including work on its constitution, and the role played by Pakistan regionally on human rights was appreciated. Efforts to ensure that children were not subjected to corporal punishment were also noted.
Sri Lanka appreciated Pakistan’s constructive, transparent and productive engagement in the second cycle of the Universal Periodic Review. Sri Lanka congratulated Pakistan for accepting many of the recommendations made and understood some of them were already under implementation. Sri Lanka took particular note of Pakistan’s efforts to eradicate terrorism.
Sudan welcomed Pakistan’s commitment to the work of the Universal Periodic Review and the acceptance of a recommendation it had put forward. Sudan paid tribute to efforts made and a number of laws enacted by Pakistan to promote human rights in the country, in particular the national mechanism responsible for human rights in accordance with the Paris Principles.
Thailand welcomed that Pakistan had accepted both of the recommendations that Thailand had made. Thailand recognised that the Government had given importance to guaranteeing the rights of religious minorities. It also appreciated Pakistan’s committed efforts to ensure access to education and to give priority to education as a means of improving social and economic development in the country.
United Kingdom welcomed Pakistan’s clear commitment to the Universal Periodic Review process. The tragic recent attacks on Shia Muslims and this weekend’s anti-Christian riots were a reminder of the challenges which Pakistan faced. The United Kingdom encouraged Pakistan to do all it could to protect minority communities.
United Arab Emirates thanked Pakistan for the efforts it had made to strengthen its human rights record and commended Pakistan on the measures it had adopted to ensure equality of opportunities for all. The United Arab Emirates also expressed satisfaction about steps taken to reinforce social justice and encouraged Pakistan to continue to implement its recommendations.
Venezuela said that Pakistan had demonstrated its commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights. Venezuela pointed out that despite natural disasters, Pakistan had made significant progress in all spheres, particularly in relation to women’s rights and the rights of the child.
Human Rights Watch said Pakistan’s Government should take steps to prosecute those taking part in religious acts of violence. It should also look at allegations of collusion between military forces and those taking part in these actions. Abuses under the country’s blasphemy laws continued, and members of the Ahmadi groups had been particularly vulnerable. Recently hundreds of Christians had to flee their homes in Lahore and police did not intervene and the blasphemy laws facilitated such abuse.
International Federation of Human Rights Leagues urged the Government of Pakistan to step up efforts to fight discrimination and violence against minorities. For example, allowing members of the Ahmadi minority to call their places of worship mosques, and their religion Islamic. It was also noted that Pakistan had shown itself to be the most dangerous place in the world for journalists and cases of persons on death row were now running at 7,000. A moratorium on the death penalty needed to be put in place.
Amnesty International acknowledged the substantive exchanges that took place during the Universal Periodic Review of Pakistan and encouraged the Government to provide regular updates to civil society. Amnesty International strongly urged the Government to include crimes involving enforced disappearances in the criminal code. Vilification on the basis of religion needed to be tackled by bringing to justice those accused of acts of violence and reforming blasphemy laws. A national policy for the protection of human rights defenders was also needed.
Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development reiterated its call for Pakistan to address violations of human rights under the blasphemy law, and expressed distress over the number of attacks on human rights defenders. Comprehensive legislation should be developed with regards to the rights of human rights defenders.
United Nations Watch asked whether Pakistan was living up to its promises. If so why were they still hearing about extra judicial killings and enforced disappearances, and why did they almost daily hear of attacks against Christians, Shia, Ahmadis, and other minorities? While Malala’s shooters were condemned, 96 attacks on schools had taken place in 2012 alone.
World Environment and Resources Council said that Pakistan was heading for its next general elections. The speaker referred to quotes from several eminent Pakistanis, one such quote saying that four years of democratic rule had given little for the people to rejoice about.
International Commission of Jurists expressed regret at recent events reversing a de facto moratorium on the imposition of the death penalty in Pakistan. In November 2012 Pakistan executed a former army service person convicted of murder. There were now more than 7,000 persons on death row in Pakistan and capital punishment was prescribed for 27 different offences, including blasphemy, sexual intercourse outside marriage, and the stripping of a woman’s clothes.
Action Canada for Population and Development welcomed Pakistan’s support for recommendations on early and forced marriage and its commitment to take measures to end harmful traditional practices against women. Pakistan still had one of the highest infant mortality and under five mortality rates in South Asia, which was a result of early and forced marriages. Also, the minimum age for marriage was 18 years for men but 16 years for girls.
Fondazione Marista per la Solidarietà Internazionale ONLUS, in a joint statement, said that Pakistan had only taken note of some recommendations and there was still no legislation in place to protect children working on the streets or in factories. Pakistan should take action to counter slavery and child labour as well as violence used by employers on children. Women in Pakistan continued to face many challenges regarding their human rights. Pakistan should increase funding to provide free and inclusive education for all.
Jubilee Campaign had ongoing concerns over the marginalization of minorities, including the idea that non-Muslims were not Pakistani citizens. Blasphemy laws lacked defined terms and allegations against minorities could cause attacks on their entire communities. Violence against minorities had increased in the last three years and the lack of repercussions made them seem to be soft targets. Children’s textbooks needed to be non-discriminatory and more efforts should be made to fight hate speech and violence against minorities.
ZAMIR AKRAM, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said Pakistan had taken careful note of the comments made and offered the following responses; Pakistan was the first to recognise that there were tremendous human rights challenges and whatever was being done was meant for their own people, not out of obligation. The Government of Pakistan and its organs should not be confused with the actions of radical elements in its society. There was no officially sanctioned discrimination of any type and it was deeply regretted and deplored that some members of minority communities had been targeted by extremists. This was intended to create disharmony and it was due to the courage of the Pakistani people that they had not allowed these numerous acts to sow seeds of dissent. The provincial government covering Lahore had arrested 35 people in relation to acts of violence against Christians and members of the police force had been removed for their failure to act. Families had been compensated and homes rebuilt. Judicial proceedings to affix responsibility had begun. Attacks on human rights defenders were also laid at the door of those against the State of Pakistan. Efforts had been made to protect society and despite challenges a democratically elected government was about to take office.
The Council then adopted the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review of Pakistan.
Consideration of Outcome of Universal Periodic Review of Zambia
MUSA MWENE, Solicitor General of Zambia, said that its Universal Periodic Review process had served not only to highlight the tremendous progress made in the promotion and protection of human rights, but had also helped the Government to reflect on shortcomings in certain areas. Zambia had received 125 recommendations and had immediately accepted 70 and rejected one. Fifty-four recommendations had been deferred and after the consultation at the highest level of the Government, 33 of those had been rejected. Zambia rejected recommendations to ratify a number of international instruments, remove from the draft Constitution all references to traditions or customary law that might be conducive to human rights violations, abolish the death penalty, decriminalize same-sex relations among consenting adults and recognize marital rape as a criminal offence. Because of historical reasons the Zambian people were adverse to their Government pre-determining the process of constitutional review and prescribing the content of the constitution. The review was a people-drive process in which the Government had a strictly facilitative role and for this reason, Zambia was compelled to reject all recommendations that would have the effect of pre-empting the outcome of the current constitution making process. It was possible that a lot of the recommendations which touched on the process of constitution reform and content of the constitution would be implemented once the process was completed. The final draft constitution would be ready by June 2013 after which it would be subject to the approval by the people of Zambia.
Burkina Faso said that it was a member of the Troika and noticed the great interest attached by Zambia to the Universal Periodic Review. Burkina Faso encouraged Zambia in continue with its momentum in the implementation of the recommendations. The Zambian resolve to improve various human rights mechanisms should continue.
Cuba said that Zambia was a developing nation confronted with inadequacies and financial difficulties but this had not been an obstacle to its endeavour to prioritise the promotion and protection of the human rights of its people, and its commitment had been noted. Cuba was grateful for the acceptance of its recommendation with regards to access to health services.
Gabon noted with satisfaction that many efforts were made to promote and protect human rights in Zambia. Gabon welcomed Zambia’s cooperation with the Universal Periodic Review and encouraged it to hold fast to the reforms embarked upon both constitutionally and in other areas relating to human rights. This would strengthen the rule of law in Zambia, which was becoming an unquestionable role model on the African continent.
Morocco welcomed the commitment of Zambia to human rights in the face of many challenges and its decision to accept most of the recommendations offered. Morocco particularly welcomed that Morocco’s recommendations to protect the rights of those in society with specific needs were accepted. It also reiterated its appreciation of mechanisms reinforcing the fight against corruption and promoting good governance.
South Africa commended Zambia’s cooperation in the Universal Periodic Review process and the additional information provided on conclusions and recommendations. Zambia had identified priorities in education, healthcare, agriculture, development and housing and South Africa encouraged the country to continue to focus on these areas during the implementation of accepted recommendations.
Philippines said it was glad that its recommendation to Zambia to continue cooperating with its development partners to improve its financial and technical capacity to implement anti-trafficking law had been accepted, as had its recommendation to use human rights training to mainstream the rights of women and children.
Sudan saluted the commitment of Zambia to the Universal Periodic Review process and its efforts to strengthen the human rights of its population. Zambia had received 125 recommendations of which only one had been rejected. Sudan stressed that recommendations should be given on the basis of priorities of the country under review and recommended that the Council adopt the outcome of Zambia.
Thailand recognized the high priority Zambia had accorded to the Universal Periodic Review process and the measures taken to enhance the human rights situation in the country, particularly those to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS. Thailand stood ready to exchange lessons learned and best practices with Zambia.
Togo congratulated Zambia on its protection of persons with disabilities and the eradication of sexual violence and invited the international community to provide Zambia with the necessary resources and technical assistance to assist it in the implementation of the recommendations it had accepted in its Universal Periodic Review process.
Algeria said that the additional information provided by Zambia bore witness once more to its attachment to the Universal Periodic Review. It appreciated Zambia’s acceptance of a large number of recommendations, including some which Algeria had made. It wished Zambia every success in implementing the recommendations made.
Botswana said that as a neighbour and one with good ties to Zambia, Botswana commended Zambia for its acceptance of the majority of the recommendations; this demonstrated its commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights. Botswana commended the legislative reforms taken by the Government, including the anti-corruption act. Botswana thus recommended the adoption of the outcome.
Association of the Community of Pope John XXIII said that it was concerned with regards to the situation of children with disabilities in Zambia. It recommended the full eradication of corporal punishment and other degrading treatment and any act of violence against children in school. It was also concerned by the lack of tools and skills necessary to prevent and treat malnutrition.
Save the Children said it was concerned that Zambia had not clearly expressed its position on the recommendations on the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child’s Optional Protocols 1, 2 and 3, the definition of the child and the minimum age of criminal responsibility, and measures to guarantee access to easy and effective access to birth registration.
Edmund Rice International called on Zambia to review inequalities in educational outcomes for children to ensure that all children’s right to education was respected, implement laws that addressed alcohol abuse among underage drinkers, draw up a national action plan to respect the rights of street children using a rights-based approach, and assess the extent of environmental degradation.
La Rencontre Africaine pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme said it encouraged democratic openness, and welcomed steps in education and children’s rights. Corruption efforts needed to be transposed to national law in Zambia. Constitutional reform was welcomed and it was hoped that through this the death penalty would be abolished. The deterioration of detention conditions and restrictions on the press remained a concern.
Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection welcomed Zambia’s commitment to enact the Access to Information Bill. It also appreciated efforts to conduct education and sensitization to enable as many stakeholders to understand the importance of this Bill. However, it noted with concern the repeated postponement of the presentation of the Bill to Parliament.
MUSA MWENE, Solicitor General of Zambia, in concluding remarks, noted that the rejection of a number of recommendations was largely because of the ongoing constitutional reform process. On the plea to abolish corporal punishment in all schools, the Supreme Court had already decided over five years ago that corporal punishment was unconstitutional and constituted inhuman and degrading treatment, and this was therefore illegal in Zambia. It appreciated the plea to take measures for the reduction of malnutrition and it was committed to all efforts that would lead to the improvement of the living standards of its people. This was constrained only by budgetary aspects. On the Access to Information Bill, it was reiterated that the Vice-President of Zambia had publicly indicated that the Bill would be taken to Parliament this year, and Zambia reiterated its commitment in this regard. On freedom of the press, Zambia was committed to this and in recent months it had seen increased freedom in this area. The Government was committed to addressing these issues within the remit of the current constitution reform process.
The Council then adopted the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review of Zambia.
Consideration of the Outcome of the Universal Periodic Review of Japan
TAKASHI OKADA, Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said that Japan had been making an active contribution to the activities of the Council since its establishment, and stressed that it saw the Universal Periodic Review as a vital mechanism to review the human right situation of all United Nations Member States through dialogue and cooperation. The Constitution of Japan was based on the fundamental principles of the sovereignty of its people and respect for human rights. Japan had developed a democratic political system and implemented a policy which promoted and protected human rights and fundamental freedoms as universal values. Out of the 174 recommendations it had received, Japan had agreed to follow up or partially follow up on 125 of them, including those promoting the protection of the rights of women, children, and persons with disabilities, but was unable to accept 26 of the recommendations. Regarding the remaining 23 recommendations, Japan already had sufficient measures in place to address the issues raised by those. Increasing citizens’ awareness of the results of its Universal Periodic Review was important to Japan from a human rights education perspective. Mr. Okada said that Japan would continue to actively contribute as a member of the Council and would work to improve the human rights situation in the country.
Iran took note of the number of recommendations provided to Japan during its Universal Periodic Review and encouraged Japan to accelerate efforts to eliminate discrimination against children of ethnic minorities, non-Japanese nationality and children with disabilities.
Lao People’s Democratic Republic said that Japan had made significant achievements in disaster reduction policies, upholding rights of the child and combating human trafficking. Also, Japan had made progress in promoting and protecting the rights of persons with disabilities, women’s rights, socio-economic development and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
Malaysia expressed its appreciation to Japan for its commitment and constructive engagement with the Universal Periodic Review process and was encouraged to hear about significant progress being made in the country. Malaysia was pleased that Japan had accepted its recommendations and said that the acceptance of other recommendations by Japan reaffirmed its commitment to the process.
Myanmar said that as a fellow Asian country, it commended Japan’s constructive participation in the second cycle of the Universal Periodic Review process, and noted with satisfaction that Japan had accepted a great number of recommendations made by Member States, including Myanmar.
Philippines welcomed the recognition by Japan that the issue of “comfort women” was a grave insult to the honour of a large number of women, many of whom were from the Philippines, and appreciated Japan’s apology. The Philippines awaited further action from Japan to overcome all legal impediments to the full ratification of the Palermo Protocol on trafficking in persons, and hoped that Japan would soon conclude its review of the legal implications of ratifying the Convention for the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and their Families.
Republic of Korea said that it had raised concerns about the issue of “comfort women” but Japan had not taken sincere measures and had not accepted the recommendations made by the Republic of Korea. Japan should urgently take appropriate measures in that respect.
Republic of Moldova welcomed the efforts of Japan to improve its domestic human rights situation and contribute to the promotion and protection of human rights at the international level. The Republic of Moldova acknowledged Japan’s commitment to address domestic and sexual violence against women and the efforts to combat sexual exploitation of children, child pornography and prostitution and to protect the victims.
Romania commended Japan’s acceptance of the majority of its Universal Periodic Review recommendations which could only contribute to compliance with the human rights standards and the commitments Japan undertook when running for a seat in the Human Rights Council.
Thailand commended Japan’s continuing efforts on the promotion and protection of women’s rights, elimination of violence against women and promoting gender equality. Thailand also appreciated Japan’s support for its recommendations to further eliminate gender stereotypes against women and to ensure adequate and timely assistance to victims of sexual exploitation.
Viet Nam highly commended Japan’s seriousness in providing detailed feedback on the recommendations received. Despite remaining challenges, Japan had made efforts to strengthen the full enjoyment of human rights without any distinction.
Algeria was pleased to note that Japan had accepted Algeria’s recommendations to increase efforts to prevent the sexual exploitation of children and to ensure greater political representation and participation of women in public life.
Botswana commended Japan on the achievements made in the promotion and protection of human rights, which included disaster reduction policies and measures to uphold the rights of the child and to combat trafficking in persons. Botswana appreciated Japan’s commitment to continue to improve its domestic human rights situation.
China expressed regret that Japan rejected some important recommendations and said that until now, Japan had not treated honestly the recruitment of comfort women in World War II. China called on Japan to fully implement the recommendations it had accepted and apologize. China had no objections to the adoption of the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review report of Japan.
International Federation for Human Rights Leagues deeply regretted that Japan rejected the recommendation to abolish and reform substitute detention in police stations. In 2012, seven inmates had been executed and despite the low homicide rate in the country, the number of death penalty sentences had increased. This was an issue of concern, particularly in the absence of a mandatory appeal system.
Amnesty International welcomed Japan’s acceptance of the recommendation to establish a national human rights institution in accordance with the Paris Principles and regretted that it rejected the recommendation made by more than 20 States regarding the death penalty, including introducing a moratorium on executions with a view to full abolition. It was deplorable that Japan rejected the recommendation to accept responsibility for Japan’s military sexual slavery system.
Save the Children International appreciated the acceptance by Japan of recommendations relating to the ratification of the third Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and to the adoption of measures to protect the right to health of Fukushima residents. Japan should facilitate and encourage democratic deliberations to implement the act on the protection and support for the children and other victims of the TEPCO disaster.
International Lesbian and Gay Association appreciated that Japan had taken positive steps towards protecting the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons by changing relevant policies. The lack of anti-discrimination legislation on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity was one of the remaining challenges facing Japan.
Istituto Internazionale Maria Ausiliatrice delle Salesiane di Don Bosco said that it remained concerned about the high competitiveness of the Japanese educational system, which placed an enormous amount of pressure on students. The lack of implementation in the family environment of the law prohibiting corporal punishment in education was a matter of concern.
Reporters Without Borders International said that Japan, which could be proud about the freedom of press, had experienced a free fall in the ranking compiled by Reporters Without Borders, due to lack of information available about the accident at Fukushima. It was hoped that Japan would respect the right of its citizens to information.
International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism said that many of the recommendations from the first cycle of the Universal Periodic Review had not been implemented and Japan had failed to establish a national human rights institution in accordance with the Paris Principles. The reality on the ground called for anti-discriminatory legislation, and a prohibition of discrimination on any grounds.
Human Rights Now urged Japan to implement the recommendation concerning the protection of the right to life and health of the people affected by the nuclear accident in Fukushima. The response of the Government was not sufficient and Japan should provide sufficient compensation and support for the relocation of people living in contaminated areas.
Japanese Association for the Right to Freedom of Speech said that during the consideration of its Universal Periodic Review report in October 2012, Japan had made a deceptive reply regarding the issue of political tract distribution. This type of detention violated the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
TAKASHI OKADA, Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said that the Universal Periodic Review was an extremely valuable mechanism. Japan was pleased by the great interest shown in its human rights situation by the delegations and civil society. Regarding the issue of “comfort women”, Mr. Okada said that it should not develop into a political and diplomatic issue. He expressed once again Japan’s regret, and said that Japan had set up a reparations fund. Concerning the death penalty, Japan did not think that it would be appropriate to abolish it. With regard to the Fukushima disaster, the Government had provided financial and medical support to Fukushima residents. Japan would spare no effort in making further improvements in its situation of human rights.
The Council then adopted the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review of Japan.
______
For use of the information media; not an official record
http://www.ohchr.org/CH/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=13142&LangID=E
I have been in this apartment for 3 months but all I bought was the curtain. (Too bright in day time)
From living like a Buddhism monk, I got to know I’m a minimalist.
Work, walk and eat. No time on TV, bar, movie or Karaoke and such and such.
I spent plenty of time to face myself. I realized myself being unable to be irrational, unfair, or deceive myself.
Everyone must live with your own “flaw”. However, your flaw can make you content better than any other things.
It took me out of Japan and I can tell myself, yes I’m right.
Soon I’m going to finish all the legal procedures about Fukushima Diary corporation finally.
I can go out of Bucharest. I like Bucharest but there is no reason that I have to be stuck here all the time.
As I keep saying, I founded Fukushima Diary corporation to open the gate for Japanese people.
In the second week of June, I’m going to leave for two other remote cities, Sighisoara and Arad.
I’m going to research “remote” villages around those remote cities.
Some Romanian people ask me why I need to go to such places.
Maybe they think I’m expecting excitements and stuff because I look young. However, Tokyo is one of the biggest toy boxes in the world and I’m from there. I don’t expect anything I can find in Tokyo and I’ve had all enough of it.
They ask me what I do in those places. What do I do ? Live. I’ll sit, breathe, and live.
Only if I have food, internet, and sometimes can socialize with cats, I’m ok.
Now I don’t even look for something fun. I just want to be useful for the world and I got to know even sheep can funk maggie’s farm by using internet.
People are coming from France, Italy and Spain to those remote villages in Romania too. They are starting to build some community. Don’t know the purpose but can smell something similar.
This is also the test before my going to Svalbard.
(cf, [Notice] The plan of researching Svalbard for a radiation resort [URL])
I’m going to research Svalbard but it’s worth of building the safer, and more moderate village somewhere in Europe beforehand. I believe some Japanese people share the same sense of value as me. There might be some people interested in the “quiet life” in the plain green. Not to mention, it can be the “shelter” for a long term or short term.
For strangers, quiet and peaceful areas can be easier to live than the capital city- Bucharest. I’m going to check if it’s feasible for Japanese people to start their “afterlife” in those places.
This is the project of pre-Svalbard.
About my Svalbard research, I have received some requests. If you also have any request about remote cities in Romania, please ask me anything.
+ Safety
+ LIving cost
+ School and kindergarten
+ Medical institute
+ Weather
+ Infrastructure etc..
If you have any request about the research and can support the fund, I would really appreciate you.
Iori Mochizuki
Thank you for considering donation !
Your donation will be spent for:
The legal procedure to register Fukushima Diary headquarters. (320USD)
So far, 120 USD to go.
….The UN meetings have gone unreported and the silence has allowed the corruption of a process of justice that the petitioners from Japan were relying on. This is a total whitewashing of recent past and even present history…..
….This charade of a committee with its hidden documents to foil English language searches is a pathetic attempt at stopping the people of Fukushima achieve their Human Rights!……
Update information courtesy of Simplyinfo.org
Posted by nuclear-news.net
By Arclight2011
16 May 2013
For the last week i have been attempting to alert the world to , what i believe, is a miscarriage of justice at the Optional Protocol findings recently held at the UN.
The whole process was not reported in the media or indeed anywhere.
The Japanese delegation had made this statement on the 14 March 2013. This document of the summary of that meeting was placed on a chinese speaking part of the UN website.
In this document we find this statement;
[...]Takashi Okada, Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said that out of the 174 recommendations it had received, Japan had agreed to follow up or partially follow up on 125 of them, including those promoting the protection of the rights of women, children, and persons with disabilities, but was unable to accept 26 of the recommendations. Regarding the remaining 23 recommendations, Japan already had sufficient measures in place to address the issues raised by those.
[...]
FOUND ON THE CHINESE UN WEBSITE
http://www.ohchr.org/CH/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=13142&LangID=E
And on an Arabic speaking part of the UN server we discovered this
[...]
The Committee is composed of the following 18 Experts: Aslan Khuseinovich Abashidze (Russian Federation); Mohamed Ezzeldin Adel-Moneim (Egypt); Clement Atangana (Cameroon); Maria-Virginia Bras Gomes (Portugal); Jun Cong (China); Chandrashekhar Dasgupta (India); Zdzislaw Kedzia (Poland); Azzouz Kerdoun (Algeria); Mikel Mancisidor (Spain); Jaime Marchan Romero (Ecuador); Sergei Martynov (Belarus); Ariranga Govindasamy Pillay (Mauritius);Lydia Carmelita Ravenberg (Suriname); Renato Zerbini Ribeiro Leao (Brazil); Waleed Sadi (Jordan); Nikolaas Jan Schrijver (Netherlands); Heisoo Shin (Republic of Korea); and Alvaro Tirado Mejia (Colombia).
[...]
FOUND ON THE ARABIC UN WEBSITE
http://www.ohchr.org/AR/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=13266&LangID=C
There was no mention of Mr Anand Grover on this committee.
Indeed from the replies that concerns the radioactive contamination issues, we get terms like this;
“….maintain a suitable level of living….”
“…radiation was at the level advised…”
“… there was financial support available for refugees…”
“… previous Japanese delegation had said the comments of this Committee were not binding…”
As many reports of misreporting of this disaster flood the internet in video, blog and even main stream media sources, a deafly silence surrounds the plight of the people and environment of the contaminated areas of Japan.
The UN meetings have gone unreported and the silence has allowed the corruption of a process of justice that the petitioners from Japan were relying on. This is a total whitewashing of recent past and even present history.
Tomorrow, in just a few hours, The meeting will be resolved with no attention to the plight of the forgotten people of Fukushima. The pretence of decontamination, run by local Yakusa and other corrupt officials has failed and other more permanent decisions need to be made that include evacuating some areas of young and vulnerable people.
This charade of a committee with its hidden documents to foil English language searches is a pathetic attempt at stopping the people of Fukushima achieve their Human Rights!
Please try to contact anyone you can to let the UN and others know that they failed to hide these disgraceful meetings. Demand a halt to the preceding s until the people of Japan can see for themselves whats is being said and done in their names.. We might have missed the deadline for tomorrow but we can demand a recess on this last meeting if we try to allow some democratic discussion to develop.
A list of names of Japanese government delegation.
http://www2.ohchr.org/English/bodies/cescr/docs/list/List_Japan_CESCR50.pdf
For sending your protest:
1. https://www3.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/mail/qa.html
2. United Nations Information Centre:
UN HOUSE 8F
5-53-70, Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001
Tel : 03-5467-4451／FAX : 03-5467-4455
And the names of the committee members (above)can be googled with the terms UN contact email http://www.un.org/en/contactus/
Other info sources
Committee on Economic, Social
and Cultural Rights
30 April 2013
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights today considered the third periodic report of Japan on how that country implements the provisions of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Introducing the report of Japan, Hideaki Ueda, Ambassador in charge of Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Japan, said Japan had a target for increasing the number of women in leadership positions and an action plan to combat human trafficking. The number of persons with disabilities in employment had risen and persons with disabilities were offered vocational guidance carefully tailored to their abilities and aptitudes. The Government had implemented emergency support measures in the wake of the financial crisis, and support for employment for youth had been strengthened. An integrated reform of the social security system had taken place and insurance payment requirements for pension payments had been relaxed.
The Committee asked about the labour force supply and demand structure, working hours, labour agreements, the National Wage Council, the linkage between the minimum wage and the benefit programme, the health insurance system, social security, nuclear accidents and how the comments of the Committee were considered in Japan. Also issues concerning the impact of the financial situation on Japan’s ability to implement the provisions of the Covenant, austerity measures, the Fukushima nuclear power station accident and alternative forms of energy were raised.
In preliminary concluding remarks, Mohamed Ezzeldin Abdel-Moneim, Committee Rapporteur for the report of Japan, said that at the time of reporting Japan was one of the largest world economies, and inflation in the economy had led to large debt levels. This had made spending cuts attractive but, in the face of economic recession, this approach had failed time and again. He also mentioned that in relation to the need to comply with obligations, the Covenant noted the need to comply with other elements of international law.
Mr. Ueda expressed his gratitude for a vibrant and comprehensive discussion of economic, social and cultural rights. This was a valuable opportunity for a review and Japan would continue with its efforts to improve access to these rights.
Committee Chairperson Zdzislaw Kedzia thanked all members of the delegation for the fruitful and friendly dialogue. He said there remained differences in the evaluation of some points though a better understanding had been reached.
The delegation of Japan included representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Ministry of the Environment.
The next public meeting of the Committee will be at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 30 April, when it will consider the second periodic report of Iran.
Report
The third periodic report of Japan can be read here: (E/C.12/JPN/3).
Presentation of the Report of Japan;
HIDEAKI UEDA, Ambassador in charge of Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Japan, said Japan had set a target of increasing the number of women in leadership positions to at least 30 per cent by 2020, and had already seen an increase in the share of women in corporate management positions. There was also a plan for gender equality which set target figures and time limits in each priority field.
Although the number of cases of human trafficking was not large it represented a grave infringement of human rights. Japan had adopted an action plan to combat trafficking with a number of agencies working together to take action. There were also activities to protect victims and a set of viewpoints had been compiled, together with measures that should be taken.
There had been an intensive reform of institutional systems for persons with disabilities. The number of persons with disabilities in employment had risen and persons with disabilities were offered vocational guidance carefully tailored to their abilities and aptitudes. A bill had been submitted to the Diet which promoted the elimination of discrimination on the basis of disability.
The Government had implemented emergency support measures in the wake of the financial crisis, such as by strengthening the safety net function for non-regular workers and support functions for job leavers. A budget of 350 million yen had been put to creating employment in the fields of environment and energy, which should create 198,000 new jobs. Support for employment for youth had been strengthened, and this had improved the unemployment rate.
The integrated reform of the social security system had secured a stable revenue source as a result of drastic changes seen in social and economic situations. Japan had relaxed the insurance payment requirements for pension payments so more people could receive pensions, and it had enhanced future payments for short-term workers. Debate continuing in the National Council for Social Security was to guide further reform in this area.
Recovery after the east Japan earthquake had included programmes to provide funds for house and town rebuilding, also rebuilding the lives of affected persons. In order to enable long-term health management for residents of Fukushima, particularly children, the Government was providing support to the Prefecture. Analysis and assessment was ongoing and appropriate health management continued.
Regarding the right to education, the Government had reserved the right not to be bound by the progressive introduction of free education, though this had since been removed due to the introduction of a programme for free education. This was to lower the pressure on families, and was carried through to the university level.
Regarding the Ainu people, the Government was implementing measures to stabilise their lives and narrow inequalities. The ratio of those receiving assistance had improved, as had university enrolments. They were recognised as an indigenous people and a Council for Ainu Policy Promotion had been created.
The Japanese Government was leading an international initiative to address issues of leprosy discrimination, and had proposed a resolution to the General Assembly on this topic which was unanimously adopted. The mandate of a Goodwill Ambassador had been extended and the Government was continuing to address this issue.
Questions from Experts
MOHAMED EZZELDIN ABDEL-MONEIM, Committee Rapporteur for the Report of Japan, noted that there were some omissions in the country report. For example, on the right to work it was stated that the unemployment rate had increased year-on-year, apart from the 20 to 24 age group – as a country that had suffered previous crises then Japan should have been most ready. With reference to people with disabilities, he said a table included did not reflect the rates described in the text.
The employment measures implemented were not clearly explained. The mention of changes in the labour force supply and demand structure was too ambiguous – what did flexibility mean? What was wrong with having a uniform plan over a period of time against flexibility? In relation to the reduction of working hours, was this the only element needed to improve productivity? Working hours should not be reduced at the expense of revenues. Would a decrease in hours mean a decrease in wages?
The minimum wage concept referred to an adequate standard of living, the details reported were something of an abuse to this idea. Were labour agreements scrapped? How had the National Wage Council affected labour agreements? How was an employer’s capacity to pay calculated? There was a linkage between minimum wage and the benefit programme – in which direction was this linkage?
How did the “strict balance” between benefits and contributions in the health insurance system work? The rate of spending on social security had increased – but how were the beneficiaries? Disaggregated data was needed. Fukushima had affected areas covered by articles of the Covenant, and more detail would be required in the next report – which covered that period. In 2001 the Committee had commented on the lack of preparation for the handling of nuclear accidents, and this was also reflected in the national report on the issue. Was this not the case?
Mr. Abdel-Moneim underscored that the handling of foreign aid in the report was exemplary, and the withdrawal of the reservation on free education should be noted.
Another Expert said that a previous Japanese delegation had said the comments of this Committee were not binding – in this case, how did the country go about fulfilling its obligations to the Covenant? A District Court decision in 2010 ruled that Article 10 of the Covenant did not infer rights – and it was respectfully suggested that the country become party to the Optional Protocol, therein offering a full and final commitment.
In relation to economic issues, how had the financial situation negatively impacted Japan’s ability to provide for the provisions of the Covenant? Had there been a measurement of how austerity measures had impacted vulnerable persons? Was enough done following the Fukushima accident? As a country vulnerable to natural disasters, had Japan considered alternative forms of energy? Had the accident response been commensurate to Japan’s treaty obligations?
The Committee also inquired about the general non-discrimination provision – this needed to be put into a framework of law. Gender equality actions were well-noted, but other areas also required attention and groups needed support. There was also continued discrimination against lesbian, gay and transgender communities. Was there the possibility of a general framework law against discrimination? Could a national survey be conducted to see the impact of economic and social support cuts on communities of minority groups?
Regarding irregular workers, many received low wages and unfair working conditions;
were there more details on the safety-net function mentioned? Around 42.7 per cent of women’s wages put them below the poverty line, this figure was 9.8 per cent for men. What was the present status of the equal opportunity employment law? What could be done to improve the social security cover for short-term workers? It appeared that many older persons would not be eligible for pensions, despite reforms, and the amount they did receive was too low for a better standard of living. Was it possible to consider a minimum pension?
Another Expert wondered whether the social insurance scheme had any impact on pensions? From another Expert came the question, what were the criteria that judges used in interpreting the elements of law related to fundamental rights? Was there a mechanism in place to allow for understanding the recommendations of the Committee?
The Committee also asked about national human rights institutions and what was the current status of discussions on establishing such an institution according to the Paris Principles? The targets set for women in senior positions were too long and too far away. There was still legal discrimination in areas of marriage and children. In order to ensure the enjoyment of rights for women, were there any programmes for new policies and legislation in Japan? How was the collection of data performed?
Related to the issue of the wage gap, it was noted that the rate was large and increasing. There needed to be a law related to sexual harassment, and provision of education on this subject. Was there an indication that the Government was to take action on this? Did the number of deaths by industrial accidents include death by overwork? What were the latest figures on suicide, and did they include persons on overseas postings?
Finally, an Expert asked about the attitude of the Government to removing all reservations in relation to the Covenant. Could the delegation provide some insight about the findings and the intentions of Japan in relation to signing up to International Labour Organization Conventions? Figures for unemployment would be most useful if sorted by sex and age.
On discrimination against persons with disabilities, could the areas not covered (such as in recruitment), be covered in the new bill? Would persons with disabilities in sheltered employment be able to be covered under labour protection, not just social protection as the situation now? What were the figures for employment of persons with disabilities in the private sector? What proportion of the elderly would be affected by the increase in coverage of the pension?
Response by the Delegation
In response to these questions and comments and others, a member of the Japanese delegation said the Covenant had a legal effect in Japan and international treaties were usually positioned as domestic laws and regulations. The provisions were applicable domestically depending on the situation. It was also highlighted that the State party had a right to increase these incrementally and stagger introduction. The Government had the responsibility to implement those rights, but it was not required to give those rights to the population immediately. About a comprehensive anti-discrimination law, he said that issues were covered by the Constitution and Penal Code. The Ministry of Justice had human rights organs and they could be called to investigate. This meant that a specific bill was not necessary.
If Japan was to conclude the Optional Protocol then the relationship between this and existing national laws would need to be considered. About the withdrawal of the reservation on free education, there were still two reservations remaining, the first related to remuneration for public holidays and the second about basic labour rights. No action towards withdrawal was planned on these. Regarding the ILO Conventions, it was necessary to continue careful consideration of the possibility of ascending to these. Discrimination in recruitment was already clearly banned.
The Japanese Government policy with regard to energy was based on the fact that the country was resource-poor, and establishing stable sources of energy was extremely important. Following the Fukushima accident, several options needed to be taken into account to find the best mix of energy sources. On a more technical point, it was explained that annual exposure to radiation was at the level advised by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. In relation to suicide, managers in both the public and private sector needed to pay attention to the mental health aspect of personnel management.
On another point, the delegation said there was financial support available for refugees as they waited for their file to be processed.
Another member of the delegation explained that there was an equal opportunity law which gave obligations to employers. Advice was being offered to employers on how to implement this appropriately, and this was also the case for sexual harassment. In more concrete terms, the Ministry offered know-how on the management of female employees and examples of best practice were rewarded. For women to continue to work effectively, work-life balance was important and so various types of leave and provisions were being revised.
About wages, there had been significant improvements, but really not enough had been done compared to other countries – though this was being vigorously addressed. The gap was shrinking, as seen by comparison to the previous report. Policies and support efforts seen in private companies were part of efforts to close the gap. Employers of part-time workers were being encouraged to banish discriminatory treatment, taking into account their hours and tasks.
On the question of the prevention of sexual harassment, there was a mandatory requirement of employers to do their best to take positive action in this field.
Answering a question about family registration, a member of the delegation said there were concerns from some groups about details of their personal background being made available to third parties. This had been remedied by a policy which ensured that third parties requesting information had their request scrutinised. About the Barakumin minority, the human rights bodies provided advice and passed enquiries on to other institutions as necessary. About a human rights commission, it was explained that the bill to establish this was submitted, but it was scrapped with the dissolution of parliament. Discussions were ongoing on the best way to realise this now.
In recent years, parties considering reform of the Japanese Civil Code had looked at the rules related to remarriage and the use of names by married couples, however, this had important ramifications for Japanese life and so it was decided that more discussion was required.
There was currently a five-year plan in place to promote gender equality, reviewed every five years. There were five new priority areas added on this occasion. One of these was the representation of women in politics and the judiciary. More generally, women’s participation was considered essential to revitalise the economy. A general election was approaching and political parties were encouraged to have more women participate in their activities.
In most Government statistics the data disclosed was separated for men and women, but this was to be promoted further by income level, educational background and so on. Data based on these parameters was to be further disclosed. A new survey looking into social conditions had shown some improvement on work-life balance. A special committee had been established to look at status, which had indicated that data should be segregated more and used to promote gender equality.
Questions from Experts
An Expert noted Japan’s efforts to help women back into work, mentioning childcare, and wondered how successful this had been? On trafficking in persons, did the country subscribe to the view that tackling the issue required a regional approach? It seemed there was a problem with support for the elderly, how were they provided for?
Another member of the Committee asked if domestic violence was punished, or was this only when there was a violation of a protection order? Talking about child prostitution and child pornography, stronger measures were needed. In case of the loss of a head of household as a result of Fukushima, there was a 5 million yen compensation payment – and for the loss of a female, the compensation was half as much. What was the basis of this discrimination? The lump-sum condolence payment was given to the head of the household, not the individual persons and there were reports that some of this had been lost through gambling. Women should also be fully involved in consultative measures.
Asking about the free tuition provided for school children, an Expert asked about the reasons for the lack of funding for Korean schools, when other foreign schools were funded. In addition, the history of the use of comfort women should be properly taught in schools to properly educate the next generation. Another Expert said that article 10 had been expanded to cover the protection of women, and under this wondered what adequate measures were being put in place to protect comfort women?
Another question addressed the point that foreign children might not be given proper access to education. What was the current position on this? In relation to cultural rights, could the Ainu language be used in interactions with the Government? What was the status of the Ainu ancestral lands – were the Ainu given land titles to enjoy this land? Did the Ainu Council interact with this group? If universities and private institutes were being privatised, which functions did they continue to fulfil? Was the knowledge produced by these institutes properly disseminated?
In the final set of questions on this cluster, an Expert wondered whether the minimum wage had increased? Was it true that many tax privileges and exemptions were given to the wealthy? Was taxation policy based around adjusting levels of income in different parts of society? What was the latest situation on scientific research in relation to the ethics of radiation?
Response by the Delegation
The delegation said very few persons still spoke Ainu, and there were 10 dialects which had not been standardised. For this reason it was quite impossible to use this language in relations with the Government. Efforts were being made to bring Ainu words into common usage. On land deeds, the Ainu people lived in the same areas as the Japanese and so were afforded the same rights as them in relation to land, though there was no exclusive land title available to them. In order to transmit the Ainu culture to the next generations the Government was undertaking various projects, such as one to reconstruct the Ainu traditional living space.
The Advisory Council for Ainu Policy was led by the chief Cabinet Secretary and there were 14 committee members. Of these, five were Ainu, and the others were representatives of national and local government, as well as experts on Ainu culture. The Japanese Government felt that those participating adequately represented the group.
On the Korean schools, the delegation said they were not sure whether the Korean schools were properly managed to meet the criteria of the law. However, if they met the conditions of the article, or if Japan normalised relations with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, then tuition would become free.
According to the newly authorised revised textbooks there were descriptions of the comfort women and the impact that Japan had had on the region was also covered. It was also explained that foreign students were entitled to go to public schools free-of-charge. Policies to realise public policies on the promotion of science and technology were in place, as well as awareness raising on the ability of technology to improve quality of life.
Privatised universities were still subject to the rules as in the public sector and much of the budget for their work came from national budgets.
Questions by Experts
An Expert said it seemed an anomaly that such a sophisticated democracy did not have a national human rights institution. Inheritance rules regarding children born out of wedlock were a form of discrimination that needed to be reformed. Was health insurance coverage comprehensive? Did it include dentistry?
Response by the Delegation
Responding, the delegation said that Japan had concluded many covenants and treaties but the approach as to how to implement their provisions was left to the discretion of the States parties. Dentistry work was covered under health insurance, but corrective work was not. Prescription drugs were also available. National policy had been reformed so there was no difference between children born in or out of wedlock, and this also related to inheritance issues.
Stability of employment should be assured and different working styles accepted as part of forming employment policies, said a member of the delegation. Support was offered to those who wanted to find work, including young people, women and the elderly. The shortening of working hours was also important to the Ministry, and it was raising awareness on the need for work-life balance. The safety net provided for two levels of support for the economically inactive, with the second available to allow short-term workers to secure their pension programme. Legislative efforts were to consider the career development of non-regular workers. Employers were encouraged to address this.
Support for young people had improved their unemployment rates, and persons with disabilities were also receiving assistance through the “Hello Work” programme. Counsellors offered targeted assistance there. The Bill before the Diet also dealt with discrimination in the recruitment and accommodation of persons with disabilities. It was also noted that persons with disabilities only worked short hours, and it was important to include this work in the overall picture, 382,000 persons with disabilities were currently employed.
The Ministry of Labour was trying to promote leave and holidays to people so they had time to relax, and though there were links between hours and wages it was paid leave that was being encouraged. Inspections of workplaces were undertaken, and advice given in cases where practices were found lacking. Employees were also told to have health checks. In relation to the minimum wage, the Government set the rate using the tripartite advisory committee, which local governments then adjusted to their own system. Public assistance should not offer more than being in work. Support was given to move people from benefits into work.
On the questions about pensions and social security expenses, they accounted for about 30 per cent of the budget. Pensions and health care represented about 35 per cent of this, 10 per cent went to long-term care costs. In 2012, the national pension act was revised, reducing the pension contribution period and those not covered by corporate programmes were covered by the State programmes. About 200,000 persons were now covered by this. Persons working more than 20 hours a week could be covered for both pensions and health insurance. Persons living in Japan, of whichever nationality, could join the healthcare and pension programmes. When the pension legislation was revised an agreement was made saying the national council to reform social security should consider this issue. A recommendation on this had not yet come forward.
Follow-up Question
An Expert wondered if there was a definition of sexual harassment and whether there was a possibility to make public assistance less stigmatising for older persons? Was there a plan to address poverty in the country?
Response from the Delegation
In response, the delegation said that if unfavourable conditions were placed on one gender then that would fall into the category of indirect discrimination. Employers were required to take action on this. In relation to the issue of older persons receiving public assistance, the laws had been changed to extend coverage and at the local government level, details had been passed from the national government about ensuring it should be fairly offered and in a conducive environment.
In response to follow-up questions on migrant workers, the delegation said there were around 700,000 migrant workers in the country and the regular labour laws applied to them. There were guidelines for their proper management and employers had to follow those guidelines, such as participation in the social security system. Japan had had no economic growth in recent years and had a two per cent inflation target, there was also a policy of fiscal responsibility away from a high level of debt, and growth policies were being created. These formed part of the fight against poverty as they created a greater fund to work from. Persons in poor categories still may not benefit from this so it was being supplemented by social policies.
Concerning sexual harassment, it was not legally outlawed but there was a name and shame policy and there were efforts in the Government to provide teaching and guidance.
The delegation also said that Japan expressed remorse for the situation of the comfort women. Issues between the countries that made the peace treaties in 1945 had been resolved, and as part of its redress Japan had offered atonement money through a variety of projects. In relation to the trafficking of persons, the budget was not as generous now as it had once been. Relations with neighbouring countries were good and there was regular information-sharing. On child pornography, a nationwide campaign had been launched and measures were being taken to work in the area of the internet to try and stop its spread. Child prostitution and the spread of pornography were now illegal.
The ageing population of Japan was increasing rapidly and guidelines had been formulated which said elderly people should have a good quality of life and their skills and knowledge should be utilised for the society as a whole. Practical measures such as non-step buses were being rolled out.
More information was now being disclosed through information materials and press conferences on Fukushima, said a member of the delegation, and this was to make decision making more transparent. Continued reviews were required on the part of operators of nuclear power plants to ensure operations were as safe as possible.
On domestic violence, there was a law in development to outlaw this. As with sexual harassment, it was possible that the act could be charged under a number of existing crimes. Economic support was given to families with children, the amount received differed according to the age and number of children. Assistance for single-parent families was available in four different elements. Older persons could receive health care and they paid at a lower rate than younger persons.
The differences seen in the amount given in condolence payment was not gender-related, it instead related to who was considered the head of the household. Regarding those that survived the atomic bombing, their medical needs related to their exposure was subsidised and this would allow them to maintain a suitable level of living.
In response to follow-up questions on domestic violence and sexual harassment, the delegation said that marital rape was considered rape and was punishable, and sexual harassment could be prosecuted under elements of the Penal Code.
Follow-up Questions
An Expert wondered about the reasons for the exclusion of the Korean schools from Government funding, saying that innocent children should not be punished for the past actions of their elders, if that was the case. Additionally, the Expert said that Japan had really not taken legal responsibility for their past actions, as Germany had, and it did not help to exclude the generation from knowledge about what had happened in the past. Another Expert asked for information on how Japan had benefitted from science and technology. Did Japan cover entirely the costs of high school education?
Responses by the Delegation
Japan was able to offer redress to each individual country in Asia that was affected by its actions during the war, and in addition to that, there was a special response offered through the Asian Women’s Fund for comfort women. On the Korean schools, it was highlighted that the group closely linked with these schools was closely linked to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. It was not conscionable to Japanese taxpayers to spend their money in this way.
On science and technology, the country was trying to connect it to the overall development of Japan, as their greatest resource was the people. The idea was to use this knowledge for the benefit of the whole world. About the funding offered for schooling, this did not include the cost of textbooks or for tours or the auditing of classes.
In response to a follow-up question on whether the minimum wage was applied to migrant workers, the delegation said migrant workers were entitled to the minimum wage and also payments for industrial accidents if they occurred.
Concluding Remarks
MOHAMED EZZELDIN ABDEL-MONEIM, Committee Rapporteur for the Report of Japan, said that at the time of reporting Japan was one of the largest world economies, and inflation in the economy had led to large debt levels. This had made spending cuts attractive but, in the face of economic recession, this approach had failed time and again. He also mentioned that in relation to the need to comply with obligations, the Covenant noted the need to comply with other elements of international law.
HIDEAKI UEDA, Ambassador in charge of Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Japan, expressed his gratitude for a vibrant and comprehensive discussion of economic, social and cultural rights. This was a valuable opportunity for review and Japan would continue with its efforts to improve access to these rights.
ZDZISLAW KEDZIA, Committee Chairperson, thanked all members of the delegation for the fruitful and friendly dialogue. There remained differences in the evaluation of some points though a better understanding had been reached. The concluding remarks of the Committee would be adopted on 17 May, and as a group they looked forward to the follow-up.
__________
For use of the information media; not an official record
UN Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, Mr. Anand Grover: Country Visit to Japan, 15 to 26 November 2012
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=12831&LangID=E
26 November 2012
Members of the press,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Allow me to begin by warmly thanking the Government for inviting me to Japan and for facilitating a rich and interesting programme of meetings and visits. During my visit, I have met with Government officials, officials of the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), medical and legal experts as well as representatives of communities and civil society. I have also visited cities and communities in Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures, which were affected by the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power plant accident. Throughout my visit, I have been welcomed with warm hospitality and courtesy. There has been a candid and frank exchange of views with senior Government officials. I am grateful to the Government and relevant ministries for all their efforts in organizing and facilitating my mission. I take this opportunity to thank all those who have given me the benefit of their time and experience.
You will find in this room a short document that explains my responsibilities as the UN Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health (the right to health). In brief, I am an independent expert who reports to and advises the UN Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly on the realization of the right to health. Although appointed by the Human Rights Council, I am not employed by the United Nations and the position I hold is honorary. As an independent expert, I exercise my professional judgment in order to arrive at my conclusions and recommendations.
Today, I would like to confine myself to discussing some of my preliminary observations, which will be explored in more detail in the final report to be presented to the Human Rights Council in June 2013.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The objective of my mission was to understand, in the spirit of dialogue and co-operation, how Japan endeavours to implement the right to health, the measures taken for its successful realization, and the obstacles encountered. More specifically, I have addressed the realization of the right to health within the context of the Great East Japan Earthquake, including a particular focus on challenges and actions taken in response to the nuclear accident, as well as lessons learned and good practices.
At the outset, I offer my condolences to the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones and those who have suffered on account of the earthquake, tsunami and the nuclear accident.
On 11 March 2011, Japan suffered an unprecedented triple disaster when the earthquake, tsunami and the man-made nuclear disaster occurred successively in the Tohoku region in Japan. The triple disasters saw the death of around 18,000 people and injury to thousands of others. I would like to commend the Government of Japan in being proactive in taking a leadership role in responding to the emergency.
I also take note of a number of reports, including those concluded by the Government appointed Investigation Committee on the Accident at Fukushima Nuclear Power Stations of Tokyo Electric Power Company and the Diet appointed Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission (NAIIC). I welcome the vibrant debate on the issue.
It is regrettable to note that the local residents were not aware of disaster management plans in the event of a potential nuclear accident. In fact, local residents of Futaba city in Fukushima were led to believe by the Safety Agreement signed in 1991 that the TEPCO plant was safe and there would be no occasion for a nuclear accident.
I would like to commend the Government in setting up the Nuclear Regulatory Authority with a view to having an independent scrutiny and monitoring of the nuclear power plants. This addresses one of the fault lines in the earlier regulatory framework, namely the lack of independence and effective monitoring of nuclear power plants and the lack of transparency and accountability of regulatory authorities. This much-needed process has also been recommended by the report of the Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission. It is therefore important that the chair and commissioners of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority are not only independent but are also seen to be independent. In this respect, it is well established to disclose any conflict of interest by potential incumbents. I recommend the Government to adopt such a procedure at the earliest, which will facilitate the building of confidence in the independence of the scrutinizing process.
Dear members of the press,
In the immediate aftermath of nuclear accidents, it is the established procedure to distribute stable iodine to the population in an attempt to block the uptake of radioactive iodine in those exposed to it, thereby reducing the risk of thyroid cancer. I regret to note that the Government neither gave instructions nor distributed stable iodine to the affected population. Nonetheless, some municipalities distributed stable iodine tablets in an ad-hoc manner.
Any disaster, in particular a man-made disaster like the nuclear accident, puts the credibility of the Government into question. It is therefore crucial that the Government provide accurate information and evacuate people from areas of contamination. However, it is regrettable that radiation dosage information through SPEEDI and the movement of the radioactive plume was not immediately communicated to the public. Moreover, evacuation zones were imposed on the basis of geographical distance from the site of the disaster and the footprint of the radioactive plume, rather than the actual radiation dosage. Initial evacuation zones therefore neglected hot spots. Furthermore, the Government used the threshold level of 20 mSv/year for the designation of evacuation zone. This conveyed the message that effective radiation dose up to 20 mSv/year was safe. It was further aggravated by the Government’s release of a number of publications, including school booklets, informing the public that there was no clear evidence of direct risk of cancer if a person was exposed to accumulated radiation dose up to 100 mSv.
The threshold level of 20 mSv/year is in contrast to the statutory legal limit imposed by the 1972 industrial safety regulation for the nuclear industry. For workers at a nuclear power plant, the maximum limit of exposure (in the controlled area) prescribed by law is 20 mSv/year (not exceeding 50 mSv/year) and a cumulative dose of 100 mSv in five years. The law prohibits the entry of ordinary citizens into the controlled area with radiation dose of 1.3 mSv/quarter and further prohibits workers to eat, drink or sleep in that area. It also prohibits pregnant women to be exposed to radiation dose in a controlled area of over 2mSv/year.
I would like to recall that in Chernobyl the threshold limit for obligatory resettlement was 5 mSv/year or above, apart from soil contamination levels. There are also a significant number of epidemiological studies, which indicate that cancer and other diseases could occur in low dose radiation below the accumulated does of 100 mSv. According to these studies, there is no low threshold limit for the occurrence of diseases.
It is unfortunate that inconsistency between the current limits imposed by policy on the one hand, and the limits prescribed by the industrial safety regulation in Japan, radiation limits used in Chernobyl and the findings in the epidemiological studies, on the other hand, has created confusion among a significant number of the local population, who increasingly doubt Government data and policy. This is further compounded by the fact that radiation monitoring stations do not reflect the varied dosage levels in areas in close proximity. As a result, local residents are carrying out their own monitoring of radiation dosage in their neighbourhoods. During the visit, I was shown ample data indicating the variance. In the circumstances, I would like to urge the Government to incorporate all validated independent data, including those from residents, and make them publicly available.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
According to the right to health, the Government should monitor the impact of radiation on people’s health in radiation-affected zones through holistic and comprehensive screening and provide appropriate treatment. In this regard, I am pleased to note that the Government has undertaken a health management survey. However, the health management survey is limited to the residents of and visitors to the Fukushima prefecture at the time of the disaster. I would urge the Government to expand health survey to all radiation-affected zones. Pertinently, the response rate to the questionnaire of the Fukushima health survey was only about 23 per cent, which is considerably low. Moreover, health check-ups are limited to thyroid examination for children, comprehensive health check, mental and life-style survey, and pregnancy and birth survey. The scope of the surveys is unfortunately narrow as they draw on the limited lessons from the Chernobyl accident and ignore epidemiological studies that point to cancer as well as other diseases in low-dosage radiation, even in areas of exposure below 100 mSv. Following the right to health framework, I would encourage the Government to err on the side of caution and carry out comprehensive studies, which would entail examining and monitoring of internal radiation exposure for a considerable length of time.
I am concerned about reports received from residents whose children underwent thyroid examination and whose results detected the presence of cyst and/or nodules below the threshold size under the protocol. Accordingly, those parents were neither allowed to obtain a second examination, nor given medical papers on demand, in effect denying them the right to access their own medical documentation. Unfortunately, they are required to undergo a cumbersome freedom of information act procedure to obtain these documents.
The Government also needs to pay special attention to the monitoring of the effects of radiation doses on nuclear plant workers, some of who were exposed to extremely high dosage of radiation. I was distressed to learn that there is a practice of employing a large number of contract workers through a layer of sub-contractors. A significant number of them are employed for short periods of time with no effective long-term monitoring of their health after their employment contracts is terminated. I call upon the Government to look into this and ensure that no workers, who have been exposed to radiation, are left without monitoring and/or treatment.
Dear members of the press,
I am pleased to note that the Government has made arrangements for the evacuees either through temporary shelters or subsidized accommodation.
However, I learnt from residents that emergency evacuation centres did not provide accessible environment for people with disabilities or appropriate conditions for women with young children. It is tragic that evacuation of residents following the nuclear accident has caused painful separations in families, leading to a separation between the husband and the wife with the children, as well as from the elderly. This has led to disharmony, discord, and in some cases even divorce, leading to distress and mental health concerns. The Government should address these important issues urgently.
Radioactive contamination of food is a long-term issue. I commend the Government for reducing the threshold for food safety from 500 Bq/kg to 100 Bq/kg. However, individual prefectures have imposed lower threshold levels. Moreover, residents have raised concerns about the enforcement of the standards. The Government should strengthen the enforcement of food safety in an urgent manner.
I am pleased to note that the Government is carrying out soil decontamination activities with specific policy targets to reduce radiation levels in areas less than 20 mSv/year to 1 mSv/year as a long-term goal, as well as in areas from 20 to 50 mSv/year to reduce exposure dose to less than 20 mSv/year by the end of 2013. I regret to note that there is no fixed timeline to reduce radiation in the area where current radiation level is less than 20 mSv/year to the level of 1 mSv/year. It is also unfortunate that in other areas the decontamination target is much higher than 1 mSv/year. The residents are entitled to live in a safe and healthy environment. I therefore urge the Government to adopt an action plan with clear timelines, indicators and benchmarks for decontamination to reduce radiation levels to 1 mSv/year for other areas. I was pleased to learn that decontamination is to be done by workers who are to be hired specially for this purpose. However, it is regrettable that some decontamination activities are carried out by residents themselves, without proper equipment or information about the harmful effects of radiation exposure.
In the meantime, I encourage the Government to continue and/or restore financial support and subsidies to all evacuees so that they can make a voluntary decision to evacuate or return to their homes, if they wish to do so. This will also help build confidence among evacuees in the Government’s plans.
During my visit, a number of people shared with me their apprehension that TEPCO is not being held accountable for its responsibility for the nuclear accident. The Government’s majority shareholding in TEPCO has meant that taxpayers may foot the bill, ultimately. The right to health framework provides for accountability of those actors who are liable for committing actionable wrongs. The Government should therefore ensure that TEPCO is also held accountable and that taxpayers are not foisted with the eventual liability.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Members of the press,
During the visit, I have also heard from the affected residents, and particularly from such groups as persons with disabilities, young mothers and pregnant women, children and older persons, that they have had no say in decisions that affect them. The right to health framework requires the State to ensure the participation of all communities in decisions that affect them. This means that the affected people need to be part of the decision-making process as well as of the implementation, monitoring and accountability processes. Participation would not only inform the decisions holistically but also build the confidence of the affected community in the Government, facilitate the implementation of those decisions and improve monitoring and accountability. This is also necessary in restoring normalcy after the disaster in an effective manner.
I urge the Government to ensure that the affected people, particularly the vulnerable groups, are fully involved in all decision-making processes. This should include their participation, among others, in the formulation of health management surveys, designing of evacuation shelters and implementation of decontamination.
In this respect, I welcome the enactment of the Act on the Protection and Support for the Children and other Victims of TEPCO Disaster in June 2012, which provides for a framework for support and care to the people who were affected by the nuclear accident. The Act has not been implemented yet. I urge the Government to take urgent measures to implement the Act. It is a good opportunity for the Government to frame the basic policy and subordinate regulations with the full participation of the affected communities, including vulnerable groups.
I welcome your questions, Ladies and Gentlemen.
Thank you.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anand_Grover
DEADLINE FOR ACTION!!
TOMORROW 17 MAY 2013
Mr Anand Grover was last seen in communication with the world in November 2012
He Had something to say
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=12831&LangID=E
The Japanese Government needed to respond to these vile slurs
So they sent there best men.. who DIDNT SAY MUCH BECAUSE A PREVIOUS DELEGATION HAD SAID:
….. a previous Japanese delegation had said the comments of this Committee were not binding…..
The Optional Protocol of 2008 is NOT binding (i.e. Not worth the paper it is written on)
IF YOU FIND MR ANAND GROVER,PLEASE RETURN HIM TO;
GENEVA
Michael Buhrman, the infamous former licensed senior nuclear reactor operator turned fugitive who is believed to have fled the country to evade capture by authorities, was convicted last month of aggravated vehicular hijacking and vehicular hijacking and sentenced to 40 years in prison. It took the DuPage County jury less than an hour to reach a guilty felony verdict.
“Nearly one year ago, Michael Buhrman pointed a loaded weapon at an innocent woman’s head and stole her car just for the thrill of it,” State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said after the verdict.
Late on the night of May 9th, 2012, Buhrman, then a supervisor at the Dresden nuclear power plant in Morris, Illinois, donned a very lifelike mask and approached his innocent victim as she sat in her parked car during a break in a Kohl’s parking lot in Woodridge, Illinois. He ambushed her and pointed a loaded semi-automatic .45-caliber handgun at the victim’s head, cocked back the hammer on the gun, and ordered the young woman out of the 2000 Pontiac Grand Am before taking off in the car. “I looked down at his hands and he had a gun,” Carrie Bradley said, describing the carjacking. “He told me to give him my keys and walk away.”
The crime was captured by a video camera at Kohls and was witnessed by at least one bystander who notified authorities and followed Buhrman from the scene of the crime until he was stopped and arrested by police a short distance from the scene. When arrested, the then-employee of Exelon was still armed and still wearing the mask. He would later tell investigators he had only been “thrill-seeking.”
Within a few days of being charged, the Navy veteran was freed on $20,000 cash bail despite the warnings from prosecutors that he was a flight risk. In July, Judge Kathryn Creswell place Buhrman on home confinement equipped with a GPS monitor after his former girlfriend notified authorities that Buhrman had been plotting to escape prosecution by running to Chile before the trial and had boasted of accumulating more than $100,000 in gold. He soon disappeared on September 28thof 2012, the GPS ankle monitor issued an alert that it had been tampered with but by the time police arrived Burhman was gone and they found the GPS device cut off, so his trial continued absentia. It would later be revealed that three days prior to his disappearance he withdrew $14,000 which had been deposited into his checking account from a foreign source.
During the trial, Melissa Gates, Buhrman’s former wife, testified that her ex-husband was controlling, abusive, and detailed how Buhrman used steroids as a part of his bodybuilding regimen. Gates said she now lives in fear thinking about what could happen if Buhrman comes back to get their 6-year-old son. “I don’t know what he would do with me,” she said.
Woodridge police Detective Jody Porras testified that Buhrman, had attempted to recruit at least one other reactor operator to join him in committing more ambitious criminal plans than stealing a car. Apparently, multiple times in the year and a half leading up to the carjacking, Buhrman had conversations with another Navy veteran plant operator about planning to commit bank robberies and armored car heists. Buhrman asked if he had ever seen “The Town” and mentioned that it would be cool to do something like that if he could put together a team. Prosecutors say that Buhrman has not been seen since his September disappearing act and another long-time friend of his has also dropped from sight around the same time.
Assistant State’s Attorney Demetri Demopoulos asked for a maximum sentence of 45 years, calling Buhrman “a dangerous and evil man who cares nothing for society and the laws the rest of us live by.” “He’s a coward,” Demopoulos added in court. “When he faces something unpleasant, he takes off.”
Prosecutor David Friedland repeatedly pointed to an empty chair which is generally reserved for defendants during the closing arguments. “There is your defendant, ladies and gentleman, right there,” Friedland told jurors. “He knows what he did, and he’s not willing to be here to take responsibility for his actions.”
Judge Kathryn Creswell said she has “absolutely no doubt” Buhrman fled to avoid prosecution. “Once the defendant is caught,” Creswell said, “a lengthy sentence is required to protect the public.”
These serious events cast a dark shadow of doubt on process Exelon uses to screen persons of high responsibility which may have an adverse effect on the health and safety of the public. Each reactor operator is given a battery of psychological tests and screened by a psychologist prior to enrollment in supervisory programs. There are also multiple continuing behavior programs, on-going screenings, and tests which maybe should have caught these aberrant behaviors prior to the crimes actually taking place. The worry escalates when one considers that it is purported that Buhrman also plotted crimes with a co-worker, while working inside a nuclear power plant, instead of watching reactor. As told by one former senior licensed reactor operator in response to this story, there are so many moving pieces during normal operations of a nuclear power reactor. The operators have to keep track of multiple overlapping tasks and processes which require constant vigil to ensure that no vital safety components are compromised. These responsibilities weigh heavy during normal operations and it is difficult to understand how an appreciable lack of performance could not be noted when supervising operators are so caught up in other affairs.
Source: Chicago Tribune
Source: The Daily Herald
Source: Sun Times
The post Fugutive nuke operator described as “dangerous and evil” appeared first on Enformable.
Work to develop the design of Horizon Nuclear Power's proposed new plant at Wylfa in the UK is set to start.
_69x48.jpg "Cigeo vision (Andra) 69x48")
Plans for the Cigéo facility to dispose of radioactive waste at Bure in France have reached the stage of final public consultation.
TEPCO conducted a “terror drill” at the Daini nuclear plant where they simulated an attack on a plant. This is the only time you will probably see TEPCO employees under arrest.
A new paper shows how contamination has been moving through the waterways in Japan. This is something we predicted would happen in 2011. Contamination just like soil and other materials is transported along natural pathways.
Japan’s NRA is urging the operator of the Oi nuclear plant to accept the determination that there are 3 active faults at the nuclear plant. KEPCO does not want to account for the 3 active faults when determining plant safety standards.
Hot spots were found near a river in Chiba, local authorities blocked off the areas. Contamination is not just a problem in Fukushima.
Santee Cooper power company has excess electricity capacity but still wants to build a new nuclear plant, they just can’t find anyone to invest ...
![[Endlessly increasing contaminated water] Tepco "Please give us a good idea"](http://fukushima-diary.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/スクリーンショット（2013-05-16-16.23.02）-450x364.png "[Endlessly increasing contaminated water] Tepco \"Please give us a good idea\"")
About the endlessly increasing contaminated water, Tepco announced they cannot build the underground impervious wall.
As Fukushima Diary has been reporting, there is no way of technically stopping contaminated water increasing in Fukushima nuclear plant.
(cf, [Analysis] There is no way of stopping ground water flowing into the plant [URL])
400 tones of ground water flow into the plant on the daily basis. Tepco is running out of the storage facility.
In order to stop the ground water flowing in, Tepco was suggested to build the underground impervious wall. (Assistant prof. Koide has been suggesting this idea as well.)
However according to Tepco, if they stop the ground water flowing into the plant, the contaminated water overflows out of the reactor buildings backward.
In their press conference of 5/16/2013 they commented “We wish anyone could suggest any good idea in this discussion.“.
Fukushima Diary thinks this is the accident that no one has ever experienced. At this moment of 2013, there is no technology to stop contaminated water increasing. It’s only the matter of time for contaminated water to officially overflow to the sea. Whoever is in charge of decommissioning Fukushima nuclear plant, Tepco, Japanese government, IAEA, UN, the situation would be the same.
(1:31:00~)
http://www.tepco.co.jp/tepconews/library/movie-01j.html
http://www.tepco.co.jp/nu/fukushima-np/roadmap/images/c130516_03-j.pdf
Iori Mochizuki
Thank you for considering donation !
Your donation will be spent for:
The legal procedure to register Fukushima Diary headquarters. (320USD)
So far, 120 USD to go.
A strange looking device will be used to map the radiation in the Fukushima reactors. The device can detect radiation levels and feed them to a computer that can make a detailed radiation level map.
This could help pin point hot spots in the building to better understand the failure of each unit. It will also help identify dangerous spots that workers should avoid or require shielding to be put in place.
The device was invented at the UK’s National Nuclear Lab.
Lancashire Evening Press (photo credit: same)
This article would not be possible without the extensive efforts of the SimplyInfo research team
Join the conversation at chat.simplyinfo.org
All content is copyright SimplyInfo.org. Content may also be copyright of other specific original authors or creators and was reproduced here with limited permission. While we welcome the sharing of information or promoting our work, please do so with respect to the large amount of effort and ...
According to a citizen’s radiation measuring station in Sendai city Miyagi, 336 Bq/Kg of Cs-134/137 was measured from the vacuum cleaner dust.
The measuring date was 5/7/2013.
Cs-134 : 108.4 Bq/Kg
Cs-137 : 227.6 Bq/Kg
Location : Sendai city Miyagi
The vacuum cleaner was used from 11. 2012 to 4. 2013. (6 months)
http://www.chiisakihana.net/20130507soujiki/
Iori Mochizuki
Thank you for considering donation !
Your donation will be spent for:
The legal procedure to register Fukushima Diary headquarters. (320USD)
So far, 120 USD to go.
According to JT (JAPAN TOBACCO INC.), Cs-134/137 was measured from 89.29% of Fukushima burley and native leaf tabacco (Dry) produced in 2012.
The highest reading was 110.7 Bq/Kg (Cs-134 : 36.4Bq/Kg, Cs-137 : 74.3Bq/Kg).
Also, Cs-134/137 was measured from 83.33% of Iwate burley and native leaf tabacco produced in 2012.
The highest reading was 93.3 Bq/Kg (Cs-134 : 36.8Bq/Kg, Cs-137 : 56.5Bq/Kg).
In 2011, Iwate is the largest leaf tabacco producing region in Japan. Fukushima is the third largest producing region.
JT comments they don’t purchase tabacco that they measured over 100Bq/Kg from.
http://www.jti.co.jp/news/radiological_inspection/pdf/20121009_02.pdf
http://www.jti.co.jp/news/radiological_inspection_20121009.html
Iori Mochizuki
Thank you for considering donation !
Your donation will be spent for:
The legal procedure to register Fukushima Diary headquarters. (320USD)
So far, 120 USD to go.
…Buoyed by the WHO study, the Japanese government has already declared Fukushima rice totally safe provided it emits less than 100 Becquerels (Bq) per kilogram (kg). (A Becquerel is one atomic disintegration per second.)
Research conducted after Chernobyl contradicts this directive. According to Starr, children in the Ukraine and Belarus routinely exposed to more than 50 Bq per kg of Cesium-137 (from the Chernobyl meltdown) Chernobyl suffered irreversible heart damage…..
MAY 14, 2013
http://open.salon.com/blog/stuartbramhall/2013/05/13/the_continuing_fukushima_cover-up
The New York Academy of Medicine celebrated the second anniversary of Fukushima’s nuclear disaster with a two day Fukushima Symposium on March 11th and 12th. Sponsored by the Helen Caldicott Foundation and Physicians for Social Responsibility, the event consisted of presentations from a broad range of physician and non-physician researchers specialized in the effects of nuclear radiation on the environment and human health. It was videoed and can be viewed free on-line (see links below).
What the symposium makes crystal clear is that there has been a deliberate effort by Japanese government, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the Obama administration, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) to minimize the long term health consequences of nuclear fallout, especially to children. Instead of backtracking on the billions of dollars he approved to subsidize TEPCO to build more US nuclear power plants, Obama is participating in an international cover-up to conceal the serious long term dangers of this technology. See After 50 Years Nuclear Power Still not Viable Without Subsidies
I found the March 11th presentation by Dr Steven Starr of the Clinical Laboratory Science Program at the University of Missouri the most illuminating. The focus of Starr’s talk was the long term effects of Cesium-137, which is the main long term contaminant of soil and food following a nuclear accident.
The research Starr presents directly contradicts a study WHO published two months ago called The Health Risk Assessment From the Nuclear Accident after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. The latter supports the Japanese government’s position that the radioactive contamination deposited immediately after meltdown has dissipated and there is no longer any risk of eating food produced there. Buoyed by the WHO study, the Japanese government has already declared Fukushima rice totally safe provided it emits less than 100 Becquerels (Bq) per kilogram (kg). (A Becquerel is one atomic disintegration per second.)
Research conducted after Chernobyl contradicts this directive. According to Starr, children in the Ukraine and Belarus routinely exposed to more than 50 Bq per kg of Cesium-137 (from the Chernobyl meltdown) Chernobyl suffered irreversible heart damage.
According to Starr WHO and IRCP are guilty of four main scientific errors:
- WHO and IRCP quantify radiation exposure in Sieverts or milliSieverts (mSv). This is extremely controversial because a Sievert isn’t a measure of actual radiation exposure but of presumed radiation “effect” based on mathematical modeling.
- WHO and IRCP studies are based on an assumption that Cesium-137is spread uniformly throughout the body, whereas their own research shows it bioaccumulates in specific organs.
- None of the WHO and IRCP studies incorporate Dr Yuri Bandazhevsky’s detailed research into Belarusian children exposed to Cesium-137 following Chernobyl, which has only recently been translated into English.
- None of the WHO and IRCP studies distinguish between external exposure and chronic internal exposure due to radionuclides that accumulate in vital organs.
Basic Scientific Facts About Cesium-137 and Fallout from Fukushima
Cesium-137 is released as a gas and has chemical properties similar to potassium. Thus it reaches highest concentrations in potassium-rich foods, like berries and mushrooms and in animal products at the top of the food chain (e.g. milk and meat). In the body it accumulates in the same organs in which potassium accumulates (heart, pancreas and other endocrine organs, intestine and kidneys).
Eight months after the Fukushima meltdown, the Japanese Science Ministry released a map showing that 11,580 square miles, 30,000 square kilometers, or 13% of the Japanese mainland, had been contaminated with Cesium-137. The official government map fails to designate any cesium-137 contamination in the Tokyo metropolitan area, unlike an independent survey done by Professor Yukio Hayakawa of Gunma University. (People may recall the government also tried to deny for two months that there had been any meltdowns.)
Somewhere between 4500 and 7700 square miles (an area approximately the size of Connecticut) was found to have radiation levels that exceeded Japan’s previous allowable exposure limit of 1 mSv per year. Rather than evacuate this area, Japan chose to raise its acceptable radiation exposure from 1mSv to 20 mSv per year.
Studies show that a dose of 20 mSv per year, will produce 1,000 additional cases of cancer in female infants and 500 in male infants (per 100,000 in their age group.). There will be also sn additional 100 per 100,000 cancer cases in 30 year-old-males.
The Effect of Chronic Cesium-137 Exposure
Based on Bandazhevsky’s research, Starr questions whether even 1 mSv (14,000 Bq) per year is safe in children, as WHO and ICRP claim. The figure is based on the assumption that absorbed Cesium-137 is distributed uniformly throughout the body.
Research done by Dr. Yuri Bandazhevsky and his colleagues in Belarus between 1991 and 1999, found that children exposed to whole body radiation levels above 50 Bq per kg of body weight experienced irreversible damage to their heart and other vital organs.
Bandazhevsky summarized his nine years of research in s paper entitled “Radioactive Cesium and the Heart.” With the help of friends, Starr has just finished editing an English translation of this work. It has never been translated before because shortly after Bandazhevsky presented it to the Parliament and President of Belarus, he was arrested and imprisoned. Just as Soviet physicians were forbidden to diagnose radiation-related illness following Chernobyl, the Belarusian government vigorously suppressed the work of Bandazhevsky, who was protesting government efforts to resettle people back into land badly contaminated with Cesium-137.
Two million people in Belarus live on lands severely contaminated by cesium-137. Fourteen years following Chernobyl, most of the children there were in very poor health. 45 to 47% of high school graduates had physical disorders, including gastrointestinal anomalies, abnormal heart function and cataracts, and 40% were diagnosed with chronic “blood disorders” and malfunctioning thyroids.
Links:
You can watch a video of Stars presentation at Implications of Massive Cesium-137 Contamination and read the transcript at Cesium-137 transcript. You can watch the entire 2-day symposium at Symposium webcast.
The presentations on Day 2 focus more heavily on the distribution of the radioactive plume that reached the US (and not just the West Coast), and the growing Fukushima-related health problems in Americans.
14 May 2013
Published by nuclear-news.net
By Arclight2011
Please share this article with your friends and family and/or reblog, (Copy in part or whole) Please refer to copyrighted links in article if used..Only 3 days to make a difference!! Justice will prevail!
Below, is a report concerning the petition to the UN on behalf of the Children of Fukushima and their petition to the UN. The UN sent Mr. Anand Grover on a Country Visit to Japan on 15 to 26 November 2012. Mr Anand Grover made some comments regarding the nuclear disaster, as well as some other issues in Japan.
The above short video shows the real situation on the ground that the Japanese delegation is not responding too!Published on 3 Feb 2013 http://www.a2documentary.com/
In response to Mr Anand Grovers comments the Japanese Government sent a delegation to reassure the UN that the points Mr Anand Grover brought up were being tackled or that clarification on issues could be made.
The document to this response has been oddly placed on the Arabic section of the UN website, though it was listed in the media section that deals with press releases. It is not available in the Japanese language. (Some Japanese translation below, in the comments section by mia)
No mention of this meeting nor any of the statements have been covered or commented on by the main stream media.
The petition for the evacuation of the children of Fukushima was given to the UN in New York in September 2011, the special rapporteur made his visit in November 2012 and extracts of the Japanese delegations responses are below with some background info to help you see the bigger picture.
The Japanese delegation prevaricated and outright lied concerning the present situation on the ground in the most contaminated areas downwind of the stricken nuclear plant Daichi 1 where 3 meltdowns occurred and a MOX Plutonium reactor exploded with devastating results, creating a mile high mushroom cloud!
10 Curies of PU 241 was released PER TON of MOX fuel ejected.. no figures have been done to ascertain the actual quantity of Pu241 that was ejected. In fact the Japanese can only refer to plutonium as “Alpha” (hinting at the type of energy released by plutonium 241).
…..Tepco was not just seeking approval to install 32 MOX fuel assemblies into the core of Reactor 3 at Fukushima – I. It appears that they were intentional about taking it a step further and in fact seeking approval for a quick transition to a 1/3 MOX core at the NPP in question…...(July 31, 2010 http://www.simplyinfo.org/?p=1734 )…
Image source ; http://www.overclock.net/t/963222/various-japan-nuclear-emergency-continuous-coverage-of-damage-and-radiation-risks
The lies and deception of the Japanese government throughout this disaster have been legendary and it is possible to see much of this even in mainstream Japanese media (without the word plutonium (Alpha) and some other censored terms).
The above is a screenshot of yet another take down notice/copyright claim on this small video. Why will they not let people see this explosion? The Japanese were censoring in 2011 and they are censoring now! here is a quick breakdown of the points mentioned on the 30 April 2013
UN Report April 2013 – Japanese delegation to The UN spreads Lies and Deception!
[...]
Regarding those that survived the atomic bombing, their medical needs related to their exposure was subsidised and this would allow them to maintain a suitable level of living.….( 30 April 2013 Japan Government delegation to the UN)
…I would like to recall that in Chernobyl the threshold limit for obligatory resettlement was 5 mSv/year or above, apart from soil contamination levels. There are also a significant number of epidemiological studies, which indicate that cancer and other diseases could occur in low dose radiation below the accumulated does of 100 mSv. According to these studies, there is no low threshold limit for the occurrence of diseases… (Annan Grover UN Japanese rapporteur statement of26 November 2012 http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=12831&LangID=E )…
……Prime Minister, I know many of your advisors claim that the amount of radiation released at Fukushima No. 1 was far less than at Chernobyl. However, a report released by the U.K.-based nonprofit Institute of Science in Society in November 2012 said: “Analysis based on the most inclusive data sets available reveals that radioactive fallout from the Fukushima meltdown is at least as big as Chernobyl and more global in reach.” That conclusion was reached based on work with state-of-the-art atmospheric dispersion models by an international team led by Andreas Stohl at the Norwegian Institute for Air Research… (9 Apr 2013 http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/04/09/voices/rosy-fukushima-health-report-faulted-by-experts/#.UZJHFddx0xA )…
More “rosy” reports here…
…..There will be an increased risk on the health of the children of Koriyama City due to the effects of radiation…. Statement by the Court… 26 April 2013 (...http://nuclear-news.net/2013/04/26/breaking-japanese-government-found-responsible-for-the-evacuation-of-koriyama-city-children/)…
[...]
On a more technical point, it was explained that annual exposure to radiation was at the level advised by the International Commission on Radiological Protection..….( 30 April 2013 Japan Government delegation to the UN)
…The threshold level of 20 mSv/year is in contrast to the statutory legal limit imposed by the 1972 industrial safety regulation for the nuclear industry. For workers at a nuclear power plant, the maximum limit of exposure (in the controlled area) prescribed by law is 20 mSv/year (not exceeding 50 mSv/year) and a cumulative dose of 100 mSv in five years. The law prohibits the entry of ordinary citizens into the controlled area with radiation dose of 1.3 mSv/quarter and further prohibits workers to eat, drink or sleep in that area.
It also prohibits pregnant women to be exposed to radiation dose in a controlled area of over 2mSv/year….. (Annan Grover UN Japanese rapporteur statement of26 November 2012 http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=12831&LangID=E )…
[Eitors note ] i should point out that residents have been forced to live with more than 5mSv/y zone ,in fact as high as 20msv/y also another isotope not mentioned but has been recorded in high amounts was Pb (Lead) 210. And here are some UK findings on that, looking at MOX pollution from the processing end…
Shocking findings on effects of MOX processes on miscarriage and respiratory illness in the UK
29 April 2013
….“In women lead poisoning can cause stillbirth, miscarriage, premature birth and foetal development problems”
“We postulate that chronic low-level ecological and professional ionizing radiation exposure were causal for haemostasiological imbalance and impaired the cell-cell communication”….( 30 April 2013 http://nuclear-news.net/2013/04/30/shocking-findings-on-effects-of-mox-processes-on-miscarriage-and-respiratory-illness-in-th-uk/ )…
[...]
On another point, the delegation said there was financial support available for refugees as they waited for their file to be processed..….( 30 April 2013 Japan Government delegation to the UN)
…The conditions that come with the compensation money are not clear to the Fukushima evacuees, causing confusion and adding to their stress. While they fill out a 60 page compensation claim form, and wait to see how much their former lives destroyed by the disaster are ‘worth’ – the profits of the nuclear companies involved, like General Electric, Hitachi and Toshiba, remain intact….(February 28, 2013 http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/Blogs/makingwaves/four-things-you-should-know-about-the-fukushi/blog/44098/ )...
…At the Fukushima court, the petitioners demanded restoration of the region where they lived to its condition before radioactive materials contaminated the area. They also sought 50,000 yen ($520) a month for each resident in damage payments. Total compensation being sought through the courts was about $55 million.
TEPCO refused to comment as it had not yet seen details of the cases. The Industry Ministry, which oversaw the nuclear regulatory body at the time of the accident, also declined to comment.
The 9.0 magnitude earthquake that unleashed a powerful tsunami on March 11, 2011 knocked out the Fukushima nuke plant sending out radiation that contaminated food and water, and forced the evacuation of more than 160,000 residents around a 30-kilometer radius of the stricken plant. Most of the evacuees were still living in makeshift shelters as decontamination work is at a slow pace…(12 March 2013 http://www.rttnews.com/2074876/residents-move-courts-seeking-compensation-for-fukushima-nuke-damage.aspx.)…
[...]
Another Expert said that a previous Japanese delegation had said the comments of this Committee were not binding.….( 30 April 2013 Japan Government delegation to the UN)
…It is therefore important that the chair and commissioners of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority are not only independent but are also seen to be independent. In this respect, it is well established to disclose any conflict of interest by potential incumbents. I recommend the Government to adopt such a procedure at the earliest, which will facilitate the building of confidence in the independence of the scrutinizing process…..(Annan Grover UN Japanese rapporteur statement of 26 November 2012 http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=12831&LangID=E )…
Concluding Remarks of the optional Protocol meeting of 30 April 2013
MOHAMED EZZELDIN ABDEL-MONEIM, Committee Rapporteur for the Report of Japan, said that at the time of reporting Japan was one of the largest world economies, and inflation in the economy had led to large debt levels. This had made spending cuts attractive but, in the face of economic recession, this approach had failed time and again. He also mentioned that in relation to the need to comply with obligations, the Covenant noted the need to comply with other elements of international law.
HIDEAKI UEDA, Ambassador in charge of Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Japan, expressed his gratitude for a vibrant and comprehensive discussion of economic, social and cultural rights. This was a valuable opportunity for review and Japan would continue with its efforts to improve access to these rights.
ZDZISLAW KEDZIA, Committee Chairperson, thanked all members of the delegation for the fruitful and friendly dialogue. There remained differences in the evaluation of some points though a better understanding had been reached. The concluding remarks of the Committee would be adopted on 17 May 2013, and as a group they looked forward to the follow-up.
Full UN source document for the reply by the Japanese delegation on the 30 April 2013 here..
[Editors note] It is interesting that Anand Gover is not the rapporteur in this meeting and it is Mohamed Ezzeldin Abdel-Moneim (Egypt).
Egypt is a small place and the new administration has excessive powers. Also, the Egyptian Government have made a big deal of the other powers (USA) not complying with the arms reduction treaty in recent statements and have actually withdrawn from talks in protest.I think these are smoke and mirrors to enable Egypt to develop nuclear weapons in the future. As a side note, where will Egypt place these new reactors? On the ever shrinking Nile river or the Mediterranean Sea?
Egypt and South Korea sign agreement on nuclear power programme
Egypt and South Korea will cooperate in the field of nuclear power development
South Korean Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Yoon Sang-jick (L) and Khalil Yasso, the chairman of the group of Egyptian nuclear plants during the signing ceremony (Photo courtesy of South Korean Ministry of Trade)
Egypt signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korea on Thursday during a visit by an Egyptian delegation attending the nuclear power capacity-building programme of the Korea International Cooperation Agency, according to Korean news agency Yonhap.
A list of names of Japanese government delegation.
http://www2.ohchr.org/English/bodies/cescr/docs/list/List_Japan_CESCR50.pdf
For sending your protest:
1. https://www3.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/mail/qa.html
2. United Nations Information Centre:
UN HOUSE 8F
5-53-70, Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001
Tel : 03-5467-4451／FAX : 03-5467-4455
Christina Macpherson’s websites & blogs
USA. A federal panel has ruled for a formal license amendment proceeding with full public participation, on the restart of troubled San Onofre Nuclear power Plant in California. It is on the cards that this plant will never restart. This is a pretty important turning point for the entire USA nuclear power industry. Meanwhile Indian Point nuclear plant (near New York) is to be allowed to operate a nuclear reactor that will not be licensed – first time ever allowed.
Japan. Tepco’s radioactive water crisis continues. They can just empty the accumulating waste-water into the sea. There is no international maritime law that prevents this. Japanese Fisheries Associations are strongly opposing it. Reprocessing plants. Japan’s government wants to restart these – at Monju and Rokkasho. Japan’s Nuclear Regulator has ordered against Monju starting up. But Rokkasho, after 20 years, and $20 billion costs, now looks like going ahead. This is causing anxiety among safety conscious Japanese, and in USA – as the plant will produce 8 tonnes of plutonium a year.
UK. Atomic test veterans. For the first time, a judge ruled this week that men ordered into the fallout zone were injured by radiation in the 1950s and 60s. the veterans will at last war pensions after a four-year fight with the Ministry of Defence.
France developing a multi $billion plan for underground radioactive waste storage in North Eastern France, but already there’s not enough money for it. Costs are supposed to be paid by nuclear companies, such as AREVA and EDF.
Uranium companies continue to post losses – Uranium One and Mega Uranium join Cameco in dismal earnings reports .
Tied-sales of the vegetables from Western Japan and Fukushima was found.
2 packs are marked down to sell for 100 JPY, one is from Kumamoto in Kyushu, and the other one is from Fukushima.
The name and the location of the supermarket chain is not announced. Fukushima Diary posts this to ask for further information.
![[Photo] Tied-sales of Kumamoto vegetables and Fukushima vegetables](http://fukushima-diary.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/tumblr_mmbmr40M3L1qzr7tro1_1280-450x337.jpg "[Photo] Tied-sales of Kumamoto vegetables and Fukushima vegetables")
http://onsen.tumblr.com/image/49675647424
Iori Mochizuki
Thank you for considering donation !
Your donation will be spent for:
The legal procedure to register Fukushima Diary headquarters. (320USD)
So far, 120 USD to go.