He also declared that Japan would place special emphasis on social development in the field of ODA, promote technical assistance in such areas as education and vocational training, and increase the assistance for women in developing countries. To raise international awareness for human rights, the 10-year period beginning from 1995 is proclaimed as the U. N. Decade for Human Rights Education. Under the Decade, U.N. organizations, governments, human rights institutions in different parts of the world are expected to make head to the goal by promoting human rights education. To accomplish this task, in December 1995, the Government of Japan established the Headquarters for the Promotion of the Plan of Action of the U.N. Decade for Human Rights Education, with the Prime Minister as its chair. The Headquarters finalized a National Plan of Action in July 1997.
Japan expects the discussions on human rights to be deepened and developed in the symposium.
ODA Guided by the belief that human rights are universal, Japan has expressed its concerns upon human rights violations, calling on countries of concern to improve the human rights situation. Japan pays full attention to the human rights situations and efforts for promoting democratization as proclaimed in the ODA Charter. When any improvement in human rights situations or any trace of democratization is recognized, Japan helps these changes through aids. On the contrary, when the situation is clearly accusable, Japan reviews its ODA projects to the country concerned.