Form No. 12 (related to Article 28 of the Act)

2022 Business Report
Specified NPO Human Rights Now
１. Project results

In FY2022, we continued to focus on the human rights situation in the Asian region, including Burma (Myanmar),Thailand, China, Hong Kong, etc., where the human rights situation is a concern. We conducted research andadvocacy activities (in areas such as the human rights of women and children, the protection of human rights
activists and freedom of expression, and business and human rights), and we provided support for the restorationof democratic rule after the military coup in Myanmar. We continued to advocate for the UN General Assemblyand Security Council in New York, the UN Human Rights Council and the ICCPR Committee in Geneva, and wecontinued to engage in global campaigns on issues such as women's rights, conflict, weapons and human rights,
the ICC, and the invasion of Ukraine. In Japan, we collaborated with other organizations and lobbied the Ministryof Justice's Criminal Law Review Committee and Legislative Review Council to revise the criminal law in linewith the actual situation of victims. We also carried out advocacy to seek a solution to the issue of forced AV
appearances based on the lowering of the age of adulthood. Other activities included lobbying for legislation thatwould make human rights due diligence mandatory in business and human rights, attending international
conferences, organizing events, and conducting a joint fact-finding project with a Korean NGO regarding theseafood industry. In addition, we conducted human rights policy questionnaires for each political party during
national elections, worked on domestic human rights issues such as freedom of speech and expression, and therights of refugees and foreigners, and we continued to provide legal consultation to areas affected by the Great
East Japan Earthquake.
２. Matters related to business implementation（１）Business related to specified non-profit activities
Businessname in
Articlesof Incorp.

Business content<Human Rights Violation Fact
Investigation and Publication Project>

We continued to conduct fact-finding,information gathering, and publication ofreports on the human rights situation in
Asian regions such as Myanmar,
Thailand, China, and Hong Kong, where
human rights conditions are a concern,
as well as making recommendations andlobbying to government agencies, theUnited Nations, etc.
In recent years, especially in China,
where the human rights situation hasdeteriorated, the United Nations has
issued statements calling for respect for
freedom of expression, press, andassembly, protesting the repression of
In recent years, especially in China,(Total project cost [19,274] thousand yen below)
DatePlace

No.
of
staff

Beneficiaryrange

No. ofbeneficiaries

Expense(1,000yen)*Roundto thenearest
1000yenpeaceful protest movements, andcalling for judicial independence inHong Kong. We also released a reporton rights violations in Hong Kong, andwe published a report analyzing theissue of surveillance of Uyghurs from abusiness and human rights perspective
and we held a press conference.
We issued a statement calling for anend to the harassment of such people.
We spoke at related official meetings,and we issued a statement protesting
the oppression and death sentence
against citizens in Myanmar, and weheld an event to reflect on the year
and a half since the coup there, and soon.
From a business and human rightsperspective, we conducted aninvestigation in cooperation with a Korean
NGO regarding human rights violations
against migrant workers working on
Korean-flagged fishing vessels.
<Women's Human Rights Project>
Continuing from the previous year, wecarried out advocacy and monitoring of
the movements of the Ministry of Justice,members of the Diet, and other parties inorder to reform the Penal Code in line withthe actual situation of victims, such as
creating the crime of nonconsensual
sexual intercourse and raising the age ofconsent for sexual intercourse.

Internationalsupport
project

In addition to sending requests andproposals to the government and politicalparties in cooperation with otherorganizations, we also strengthened
activities to deepen the understanding
and interest of the media and citizens
regarding criminal law reform throughpress lectures, press conferences, andonline events.

AllyearJapan,New York

35

Women ingeneral inJapan,
Asia, theMiddle
East, etc.

Countless

3,061

In addition, in April 2022, we continued tocarry out numerous lobbying activities
and held official meetings, calling for theestablishment of legislation to address
the issue of forced AV appearances,which was a concern due to the loweringof the age of adulthood, and the AV
Appearance Harm Prevention and Relief
Act was enacted.
A survey was also conducted on digitalsexual violence and a report was
published on it.
In New York, side events were also held inline with the theme of the United Nations
Commission on the Status of Women(CSW) in March.
<Children's Human Rights Project>International
supportproject

In collaboration with schools, we held an
event where junior high and high school All
students thought about issues of year
discrimination and coexistence. We
continued to monitor violations ofchildren's rights in countries such as
Myanmar and Iraq.

Japan, etc.

30Children in
CountlessJapan,Myanmar,Iraq, etc.

1,423<Overseas human rights education
project>

Internationalsupport
project

At the end of the fiscal year, we visited
local evacuees in Thailand on theMyanmar border to conduct fact-finding,gather information on local human rights
education project needs and feasibility,and build networks. We held online eventsin Japan about the serious human rights
situations in Myanmar and Ukraine, and we All
had guest speakers from those involved
year
give reports, in order to make local voices
heard in society.

Civil society,Lawyers,students inMyanmar,
Thailand,Cambodia,
China, etc.
Japan,Myanmar,
Thailand,Cambodia,
China, etc.

25

About
100
peopledirectly.
Theripple
effects
arecountless.

2,114

<Human Rights Policy Proposal
Project>
We provided policy recommendations andadvocacy to improve the human rights
situation in Japan in accordance withinternational standards and various United
Nations recommendations, and wecontinuedtomakepolicy
recommendations to mainstream humanrights in foreign aid policies. During thenational election, we conducted a humanrights policy questionnaire for each party
and held a press conference.
In addition to continuing to provide legal
consultation in the disaster-stricken
Surveys,areas, we supported a joint statement
research
proposals,
clarifying issues such as arbitrary
andAll
dissemination detention from the perspective ofyear
projects forinternational human rights standards
theregarding the Immigration Control Act
promotion
amendment bill, and we held press aandprotection of conference.
human rights Regarding human rights issues related tobusiness, following the formulation ofJapanese government guidelines in
September, further efforts are required
for legislation to be enacted to makehuman rights due diligence mandatory torealize the purpose of the Guiding
Principles. We lobbied and held events formembers of the Diet and other parties
seeking the same. We also addressed theissue of Japanese companies promoting
large-scale surveillance and serious
human rights violations against Uyghurs,
and we released a joint report with otherorganizations and held a press
conference. We created an investor
toolkit for human rights and conducted awebinar explaining it. We attended aninternational conference in Thailand andadvocated for legislation making humanrights due diligence mandatory, andstrengthened our international network.
We participated in an international
campaign (B4Ukraine) calling for
responsible behavior from the Japanese
government and companies regarding theinvasion of Ukraine, and we held events.
Additionally, from a fact-finding
perspective, we conducted aquestionnaire survey of construction

Japan30

Citizens inJapan, Asia, Countlessetc.

8,000

industry-related companies and held adebriefing session. In addition, in
collaboration with a Korean NGO, we areconducting a fact-finding investigation
into the issue of human rights violationsof migrant workers on Korean-flagged
fishing boats and the issue of Japanesecompanies importing seafood harvestedby those fishing boats. We conductedadvocacy activities such as providing
information to the special rapporteur who
visited Japan on issues involving
Japanese companies, such as thedevelopment of the Y Complex inMyanmar. Last year, we held the“Business and Human Rights Academy,'' aone-month intensive series of coursesthat was well received.

Surveys,research
proposals, anddissemination
projects forthe promotion
and protectionof humanrights<United Nations/International Human
Rights Standards Research/Advocacy
Project>
We participated in meetings of the United All
Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva,
year
participated in discussions on humanrights issues in Asia and other regions,and provided information, made policy
recommendations, and conductedadvocacy activities. In particular, theSecretary-General participated in thereview process of the Japanese
government's report by the ICCPR in
November, and carried out advocacy
activities on the ground regarding variousissues within Japan.
In New York, in collaboration with otherorganizations, we promoted advocacy
activities at the United Nations General
Assembly, the Security Council, etc. on
global issues such as humanitarian
disarmament issues and responses tohumanitarian crisis situations. We
participated in the first Conference of theParties to the Treaty on the Prohibition ofNuclear Weapons and held a reporting
event.

Tokyo, New
York, Geneva

20

Citizens
generally inJapanCountless 1,989<Domestic information provisionproject>
We provided information on thesituation of human rights violations inAsia, Japan, and around the world andour organization's policy
recommendations through our website,
media, newsletter, etc. We also carriedout awareness-raising activities
through holding symposiums, talkevents, debriefing sessions, andpublishing. The World Human Rights
Day event addressed the issue ofdisplaced people in Ukraine. ThroughSurveys,holding online events and other events,
we worked to spread awareness about
research
proposals, and human rights at various levels andspread international human rights
dissemination standards. In addition, we conducted
human rights education projects andprojects forthe promotion youth festivals for junior high and highschool students, held a World Children'sand protection Day video speech contest and charity
walk, held human rights Englishof humanconversation classes with themes suchrights
as the SDGs, and promoted the spreadof human rights education materials forjunior high and high school students.
We also held activities to spreadawareness of human rights to the next
generation through promotion, etc.

Allyear

Tokyo, Geneva

600 Japan
citizens ingeneral

無数This year, as in the previous year, there are almost no offline events due to the coronavirus pandemic, andother businesses such as book and goods sales are not being held.

1,361