Tokyo said yesterday that it will announce a plan to join the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction at the Group of Eight developed countries’ summit in late May in Deauville, France. The government is expected to instruct the justice and foreign ministries to develop necessary bills to have Japan join the convention during a regular Diet session next year.
Japan has been under intense pressure to join the convention, with U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., saying that Japan “has become a destination country, a haven, for international child abduction,” and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urging Japan to join the convention back in March. In 2009 alone, 37 American children were abducted by Japanese nationals.
This is a huge step forward for Japan. I’ve discussed in the linked post (above) why joining the convention may be contentious for the Japanese domestically. Joining now is a sign that Japan may finally be joining the 20th century on human rights.