A/HRC/37/15 155. Japan had appropriately made the decision to not designate Democratic People’s Republic of Korea schools for the High School Enrolment Support Fund system, in accordance with the intent of the relevant laws. 156. Nobody had been punished for violating the Act on the Protection of Specially Designated Secrets and there were no circumstances in which the press was daunted. 157. Japan recognized that the comfort women issue was one that had severely injured the honour and dignity of many women, and had extended its heartfelt apologies and remorse to the former comfort women. 158. Japan stated that the issues of reparations, properties and claims arising from the war had been settled through treaties, agreements and instruments between Japan and the countries concerned. 159. Japan stated that “forceful taking away” of comfort women by the military and government authorities and the figure of “200,000 persons” as the total number of comfort women could not be confirmed in any of the documents in the full-scale fact-finding study in the early 1990s. Japan also stated that referring to comfort women as “sex slaves” was inappropriate, as it contradicted the facts. 160. In conclusion, Japan thanked the delegations for their constructive and valuable comments and reiterated its continued commitment to cooperate with the universal periodic review and make efforts for the protection and promotion of human rights. II. Conclusions and/or recommendations 161. The following recommendations will be examined by Japan, which will provide responses in due time, but no later than the thirty-seventh session of the Human Rights Council: 161.1 Consider lifting existing reservations to the international human rights treaties (Ukraine); 161.2 Consider recognizing the competence of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to receive and consider individual complaints (Kazakhstan); 161.3 Accede to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Slovenia); 161.4 Consider the abolition of the death penalty in its legislation, and proceed to the ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Argentina); 161.5 Ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty (Montenegro) (Spain) (Sweden) (Togo); 161.6 Ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty, and in the meantime, establish a moratorium on execution (Croatia); establish an immediate formal moratorium on executions and ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty (Germany); 161.7 Establish a moratorium on the application of the death penalty and consider ratifying the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Mongolia); 161.8 Consider ratifying the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Second Optional Protocol aiming at the abolition of the death penalty, and in the meantime, declare an 11