GENEVA - A group of UN experts* today expressed concern about stigmatisation of religion or belief minorities in Japan, and its impacts on children and young people in particular.
"We are disappointed that materials disseminated to children in Japan reinforce discriminatory stereotypes about religion or belief minorities, and risk directly conflating legitimate religion and belief manifestations with child abuse," the experts said.
Between May and July of 2025, 'Children's Human Rights SOS Mini-Letters' were distributed to school children in Japan.
"While the pamphlets highlighted important information about child abuse and offered a highly valuable line of contact between young people and the State regarding their human rights, it is disappointing that the pamphlets appear to target some practices and activities, especially those of Jehovah's Witnesses," the experts said. "Rather than protecting children who belong to religion or belief minorities, these materials risk contributing to their bullying and marginalisation," they said. Consultations with civil society and minorities in relation to the "Q&A on Responses to Child Abuse Related to Religious Beliefs, etc." ("Q&A Guidelines"), can help address these discriminatory concerns, they said.
The problematic material in the pamphlets reportedly draws on the Q&A Guidelines, published by the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare in December 2022, which were the subject of a joint communication to the Government of Japan in April 2024 from Special Procedures experts, to which the Government responded.
"In line with our previous concerns, we have received credible reports that religion or belief minorities, including Jehovah's Witnesses, have since found themselves under increased scrutiny from authorities even when engaging in legitimate religious activities in line with article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, such as praying with children, or opting out of certain activities on religious grounds," the experts said.
"We are concerned that the continued use and re-use of the Q&A Guidelines' discriminatory framing reflects a broader pattern of targeting religion or belief minorities for surveillance and administrative harassment," they said.
"While we appreciate and encourage sincere efforts to engage with children and young people in order to combat violence and abuse in the home and at school, such good faith efforts must not result in discrimination against minorities."
The experts also noted the decision by the Tokyo District Court on the dissolution of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, formally known as the Unification Church.
"The civil tort rulings on which the dissolution decision was based on relies on the violation of 'social appropriateness' which were deemed to constitute a serious harm to 'public welfare'. As previously noted by the Human Rights Committee the concept of "public welfare" is vague and open-ended and may permit restrictions exceeding those permissible under the ICCPR," the experts warned.
They emphasised that any restrictions on the exercise of Article 18 rights must comply strictly with the limitations set out in Article 18.3 of the ICCPR, as interpreted by the UN Human Rights Committee.
