| Comments |
Response from Osaka City |
| I. General
Matters |
| 1) |
A
clear statement of the City's stance on securing
the human rights of non-Japanese residents is appreciated.
However, the Draft does not provide particulars,
and thus it is difficult to understand. Annual
plans and guidelines should be formulated. |
|
A
statement that the City will promote non-Japanese resident
policies through specially designed activities has been
added in Ch. 4-4-(1), "Governmental Organizations." |
| 2) |
For
internationalization, priority should be given
to improving policies on non-Japanese residents
who reside in the City now. |
|
As
described in Ch. 3, "Concepts Underlying the Basic
Directives," the City is striving to improve policies
for non-Japanese residents based on the equality of all
residents, with the aim of creating a tolerant community. |
| 3) |
Policies
on Japanese residents should be improved first
of all. |
|
| 4) |
The
City should publicize the fact that to create a
society where everyone gets along, execution of
responsibilities is as important as protection
of rights. |
|
As
described in Ch. 3, "Concepts Underlying the Basic
Directives," the City encourages participation in
various activities and interactions for the development
of local communities. |
| II. Chapter
1 - Social Environment Surrounding Non-Japanese Residents |
| 1. Domestic Circumstances |
| 1) |
It
should be stated that the City Council has adopted
a written opinion requesting the formulation of
a bill for the granting of local election voting
rights to non-Japanese nationals. |
|
It
has been added to the chronological table. |
| 2) |
It
should be stated that the Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science and Technology should
qualify students from Korean schools to take national
university entrance exams on a school basis. |
|
A
statement regarding qualification to take national university
entrance exams has been added in Ch. 4-2-(7), "Support
for International Schools." |
| III. Chapter
3 - Concepts Underlying the Basic Directives |
| Respect for Everyone's
Human Rights |
| The
City should consider a measure to provide effective remedies
for Korean students damaged by violence or verbal abuse
and non-Japanese residents suffering unreasonable discrimination
or exclusion, including discrimination in employment
and refusal to provide housing. |
As
described in the Basic Directives, the City strives to
raise awareness of human rights and improve service counters
for consultations, with the aim of creating a society
where everyone's human rights are respected. To provide
victims of human rights violations with remedies, it
is necessary to have a general legal framework in place
that satisfies the requirements for protection of human
rights. Based on this understanding, the City has petitioned
the national government to build such a legal framework. |
| Creation of a Tolerant
Community |
| The
City should teach students that it is important to secure
human rights for all people. |
As
described in Ch. 1-3, "Osaka's History," the
City has been actively promoting human rights education
and enlightenment activities. |
| Community Participation
by Non-Japanese Residents |
| The
City should implement measures based on the written opinion
adopted by the City Council. |
As
described in Ch. 4-3-(2), "Participation in Municipal
Administration," the City continues to consider
measures to involve non-Japanese residents and incorporate
their opinions in matters of municipal administration
and local communities. |
| IV. Chapter
4 - Implementation of the Policies on Non-Japanese
Residents in Osaka |
| 1. Respect for the Human
Rights of Residents of Foreign Nationality |
| (1) Provision
of Information in Multiple Languages |
| 1) |
Various
public media should be used in providing information
on municipal administration. |
|
As
described in the Basic Directives, the City strives to
make better use of public media for effective provision
of information. |
| 2) |
Language
barriers should be eliminated. |
|
| (2) Reinforcement
of the Consultation Service System |
| Consultation
counters for non-Japanese residents should be opened
in ward offices, with non-Japanese consultants hired
(as temporary staff) as much as possible. |
As
described in the Basic Directives, the City strives to
provide non-Japanese residents with appropriate advice
through consultations, with the goal of ensuring equal
access to governmental services for all people regardless
of their Japanese proficiency. |
| (6) Juveniles,
One-Parent Families |
| Since
many non-Japanese residents are worried about childrearing,
places for interaction and opinion exchanges are needed. |
As
described in Ch. 2-1-(6), "Juveniles, One-Parent
Families," the Osaka Municipal Child Counseling
Information Center provides telephone consultations.
The City will research juvenile- and nursing-related
measures that promote multicultural tolerance while meeting
the diversified needs in childrearing. |
| (7) Women
and Domestic Violence (DV) |
| DV-related
consultations and temporary custody for non-Japanese
women should be provided regardless of resident status. |
Consultations
and temporary custody for women undergoing DV are provided
regardless of nationality, and such fact has been added
in 2-1-(6), "Juveniles, One-Parent Families." |
| (9) 1) Medical
Care Insurance |
| The
City should request that the national government provide
National Health Insurance and social assistance based
on the fact of residence and regardless of resident status. |
The
Supreme Court delivered a verdict on the application
of National Health Insurance to non-Japanese without
resident status in January 2004. The City will consider
this matter in accordance with future opinions provided
by the national government. The corresponding application
of social assistance to non-Japanese residents is limited
by resident status. Therefore, the City has petitioned
the national government. |
| (9) 2) Medical
Care and Emergency Medical Services |
| 1) |
For
those non-Japanese residents who cannot purchase
health care insurance, assistance for medical expenses
for emergency medical care should be considered. |
|
The
City regards this a matter of grave concern, but it must
be considered not only by the City but also by the national
government. The City will pressure the national government
in this matter. |
| 2) |
Emergency
medical services must be provided equally to all
people. A multilingual system should be constructed,
including medical interpreter services. |
|
Providing
all people with equal medical care is the essence of
public medical care. As described in the Basic Directives,
the City is considering measures to help those who do
not understand Japanese well. |
| (11) Housing |
| Effective
measures to eliminate refusals to provide non-Japanese
residents with housing should be considered. |
As
described in the Basic Directives, the City promotes
awareness activities that are aimed at abolishing discrimination
in housing rentals and is improving its provision of
housing-related consultations and information. |
| (12) Employment |
| Effective
measures to eliminate discrimination in employment of
non-Japanese residents should be considered. |
As
described in the Basic Directives, the City continues
to conduct awareness activities with the goal of abolishing
discriminatory practices in employment and work and to
provide information on labor and employment and a wide
range of consultations. |
| 2. Creation
of a Multicultural, Tolerant Society |
| (2) Education
of Children of Korean Nationality |
| 1) |
Expansion
of Korean culture clubs is needed. |
|
As
described in the Basic Directives, the City is improving
the education of children of Korean nationality and continues
to consider measures for such improvement. |
| 2) |
Korean
culture clubs should be discontinued. |
|
The
City regards the education of children of foreign nationality
as crucial to the creation of a multicultural, tolerant
society and essential to the building of human relationships
and community environments where Japanese and non-Japanese
residents contribute to each other's happiness. |
| (3) Education
of Children Entering the Country and Returning from
Abroad |
| 1) |
The
City should be actively involved in teaching non-Japanese
students from abroad their mother tongues. |
|
Lessons
in their mother tongues are being provided. A statement
about such lessons has been added in Ch. 2-2-(1)-3), "Education
of Children Returning and Coming from Abroad." |
| 2) |
Providing
non-Japanese students with opportunities to learn
the Japanese language, which is necessary for living,
is understandable. However, having special classes
to teach them about the cultures of their mother
countries as part of the compulsory curriculum
is questionable. |
|
One
of the educational goals of the City is to foster in
both Japanese and non-Japanese children the attitude
needed to understand and get along with each other. The
City recognizes the importance of being able to understand
and respect cultural diversity and live with people from
different cultures and seeks to assist children in developing
such abilities through the social studies class or the
Integrated Course. |
| (7) Support
for International Schools |
| Sufficient
assistance to Korean schools is required to secure the
educational rights of Korean students. |
As
described in the Basic Directives, the City continues
to provide the necessary assistance. |
| (8) Opportunities
and Places for Learning the Japanese Language |
| 1) |
Japanese
language classes are also held by citizens' groups.
Support and cooperation are needed for those groups. |
|
The
City opened the Center for Adult Learning, Literacy & Japanese
as a Second Language (CALLJSL) in collaboration with
Osaka Prefecture in 2002, and has been supporting citizens'
voluntary efforts. A statement about this matter has
been added in Ch. 2-3-(1), "Opportunities and Places
to Learn the Japanese Language." |
| 2) |
Since
some non-Japanese residents have acquired skill
in speaking but not writing Japanese through long
stays in Japan, there should be a clear statement
that the City is securing education for literacy. |
|
As
described in Ch. 2-3-(1), "Opportunities and Places
to Learn the Japanese Language," the City has been
striving to increase opportunities for literacy education. |
| (9) Promotion
of International Understanding and Exchanges |
| The
International House, Osaka is supposed to be playing
a leading role in this matter, but it is not necessarily
doing so, judging from its very narrow range of activities. |
A
description of the activities of the International House,
Osaka has been added in Ch. 2-3-(2), "Promotion
of International Understanding and Exchanges. " A
statement that the City will improve its provision of
information on international exchanges has been added
in Ch. 4-2-(9), "Promotion of International Understanding
and Exchanges." |
| (10) Support
for Students from Overseas |
| Since
most pre-college students in Japanese language schools
aim to enter university, they should be included among
the recipients of support like low-rent housing, assistance
with insurance premiums and consultations. |
The
City is providing consultations for international students
enrolled in all kinds of educational programs. That fact
has been added in Ch. 2-3-(3), "Support for Students
from Overseas." |
| (11) Promotion
of Awareness |
| 1) |
Issues
related to the human rights of non-Japanese people
should be raised in communities. |
|
The
City is promoting a wide range of activities to raise
awareness of human rights in collaboration with the Ward
Conference for Promotion of Human Rights Awareness and
the City Conference for Promotion of Human Rights Awareness.
Promotion of human rights awareness is included in seminars
for the Ward Conference of Social Workers and health/medical/welfare
care network promoters. A statement that the City uses
every opportunity for promotion of human rights awareness
has been added in Ch. 4-2-(11), "Promotion of Awareness." |
| 2) |
Efforts
are needed to familiarize citizens with the content
of the Basic Directives. |
|
A
summary of the Basic Directives will be distributed to
citizens. |
| 3. Participation
in the Local Community |
| (1) Participation
in Community Activities |
| The
establishment of a convention of non-Japanese residents,
with some of the membership selected by the public, should
be considered. |
In
Ch. 4-4-(1), "Governmental Organization," a
statement has been added that the City will consider
issues related to non-Japanese residents at its Advisory
Panel while discussing possible organizational solutions
for incorporating opinions and requests from non-Japanese
residents into the municipal administration. |
| (2) Civil
Service |
| 1) |
The
City should demonstrate both internally and externally
its achievements in internationalization of municipal
administration, such as publicizing the status
of employment of non-Japanese people as civil servants
and allowing Korean employees to use their Korean
names. |
|
The
City has been employing many non-Japanese people and
publicizing that government employment tests are open
to non-Japanese residents. Use of Korean names is finally
the choice of the individual. The City thinks it is important
to create a workplace environment where non-Japanese
employees do not hesitate to use their real names. |
| 2) |
Active
employment of non-Japanese people is needed to
meet potential future increases in the needs of
non-Japanese residents. |
|
Employment
of public employees is done based on the Local Public
Service Law. |
| 3) |
There
is no need for public employees of foreign nationality.
Non-Japanese people who want to become public employees
should be naturalized. |
|
Non-Japanese
people are part of local communities, and enlarging their
employment opportunities is important. Further, if Osaka
is to become an international city, differences of nationality
should not be taken into account in the employment of
civil servants. |
| 4. Promotion
of the Policies on Non-Japanese Residents in Osaka |
| (1) Governmental
Organization |
| 1) |
The
City should set up a section to provide overall
coordination of measures for non-Japanese residents. |
|
A
statement that the City will enhance planning and coordinating
functions of related sections has been added to the Basic
Directives. |
| 2) |
A
system is needed to facilitate cooperation among
the International House, Osaka, ward offices and
communities. |
|
As
described in the Basic Directives, the City links its
related bureaus and strengthens its organization. As
described in Ch. 4-4-(4), "Cooperation with Related
Organizations," the City is strengthening its cooperation
with related organizations. |
| (2) Enhancement
of Staff Training Courses |
| The
Basic Directives should be fully understood by civil
employees. Assignment of a training-course planner for
each workplace should be considered. |
The
City will encourage its employees to understand the Basic
Directives, using a digest version in human rights seminars
for each section. The City is also holding seminars to
train instructors on human rights issues in each section. |
| (3) Conducting
Surveys |
| 1) |
Surveys
are needed to assess the prevalence of school refusal
among foreign-born students and to evaluate the
needs of Korean culture clubs in schools. |
|
Information
on the status of students with foreign nationality is
obtained from Teachers' Consultants in each block of
each ward. The City has asked each school to inform it
of their needs concerning Korean culture clubs. |
| 2) |
A
survey should be conducted on discrimination in
rental housing. |
|
The
status of discrimination in rental housing was assessed
in the course of the survey of non-Japanese residents
on their living situations in 2001. |
| (4) Cooperation
with Related Organizations |
| 1) |
The
City should petition the national government intensely
for radical revisions to the Alien Registration
Law. |
|
As
described in the Basic Directives, the City continues
to petition the national government for radical revisions
to the law. |
| 2) |
Efforts
should be made to increase cooperation with NPOs
and non-Japanese resident groups in the areas of
information provision, childrearing, DV, education
and international exchanges. |
|
A
statement that the City will strengthen cooperation with
NPOs and other groups has been added to the Basic Directives.
As described in Ch. 4-4-(5), "Nurturing and Support
for Volunteers," the City also strives for closer
cooperation with volunteer groups. |
| V. Others |
| Alien Registration |
| 1) |
Alien
registration counters should be carefully arranged
so that consultations cannot be overheard by other
people. |
|
The
City strives to ensure that its counter staff respects
the privacy of consultees. |
| 2) |
Since "alien" contains
a negative meaning, "Foreign Registration" should
be used instead of "Alien Registration" in
English. The Ministry of Justice uses "Alien
Registration" in English. |
|
However,
since this carries a negative image, the City uses the
term "Foreign Resident Registration" at its
counter. |
| 3) |
Employees
who speak foreign languages should be assigned
to the alien registration section. |
|
As
described in Ch. 2-1-(1), a greater number of Trio-Phones
have been made available at the Resident Registration
Section, Resident Registration Dept. , since fiscal 2003. |
