Working to end discrimination

The International Bar Association (IBA) and The Nippon Foundation, Japan’s largest private philanthropic foundation, have formed an alliance to combat the stigma and discrimination against leprosy-affected people which are still prevalent in the world and sustained in some countries by out-of-date and discriminatory legislation.

The launch of this collaboration will be the occasion of the annual Global Appeal to end stigma and discrimination against people affected by leprosy and their families, organised by The Nippon Foundation, which will be held at the Law Society in London on 24 January next year – three days before the 60th World Leprosy Day. The Global Appeal is led by The Nippon Foundation Chairman, Yohei Sasakawa, who is the WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination and the Japanese Government Goodwill Ambassador for the Human Rights of People Affected by Leprosy.

Mr Sasakawa describes the fight against leprosy and the discrimination it causes as his life’s work. A major breakthrough was achieved in 2010 when the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution calling for the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members.

Over the years, the Global Appeal has been supported by influential groups to emphasise the anti-discrimination message. These groups have varied from world leaders, faith groups, human rights NGOs and leprosy-affected people themselves.

Endorsing the latest appeal is the IBA, the world’s leading organisation of international legal practitioners, bar associations and law societies. Moreover, the Co-Chair of the IBA’S Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI), Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, will be giving the keynote address at the Global Appeal event. The IBAHRI works to promote, protect and enforce human rights under a just rule of law.

The target is the list of discriminatory laws and regulations against leprosy-affected people still on the statute books of a number of countries. These include Singapore, Nepal, Malta, Thailand and India – where discriminatory laws still apply in the areas of contesting elections, marriage and divorce, residential eligibility, and employment.  On immigration, the U.S., China and many other countries still refer to leprosy as a reason for declining entry.

Comments Yohei Sasakawa: “Leprosy is easily curable today by multi-drug therapy. There are no grounds to discriminate against someone with the disease. We now need to ensure that the UN resolution is fully implemented. I would also like to propose, as the 60^th anniversary of World Leprosy Day approaches, that it be made an International Day designated by the UN agencies so that people can more seriously consider this issue.”

Says Akira Kawamura, President of the IBA: “Put simply, as the global voice of the legal profession, the IBA will work to eliminate discriminatory laws, and to ensure that the human rights of people affected by leprosy are upheld in accordance with the principles enshrined in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”

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This press release is reprinted by Alanna Shaikh out of an obscure sense of guilt. It does not represent the opinions of Alanna Shaikh or any of her employers.