A/HRC/35/38 III. Review of the implementation of the principles and guidelines 20. This section is mainly based on the responses provided by States, national human rights institutions and national and international NGOs 8 to the questionnaire on the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy, which form the main basis for the review of steps taken to date by States and other stakeholders towards the wider dissemination and more effective implementation of the principles and guidelines. The main thematic components of the principles and guidelines provided the basis for the review. 21. An overwhelming number of responses came from national and international NGOs, in particular associations of and organizations working with persons affected by leprosy and their family members. As mentioned earlier, relatively few responses were received from States and national human rights institutions and most of them, particularly those from States, were from non-endemic countries. Nonetheless, the responses received from organizations of persons affected by leprosy and international NGOs provided a more or less full picture of the positive measures taken by the States concerned and the gaps that need to be addressed in order to achieve the effective implementation of the principles and guidelines. A. Awareness-raising and dissemination of the principles and guidelines 22. The responses received so far revealed that States had not yet developed comprehensive policies and action plans involving both government and non-government stakeholders to raise awareness about leprosy with a view to overcoming the stigma and discrimination towards persons affected by leprosy and their family members, including awareness-raising about and dissemination of the principles and guidelines. However, a number of States had taken several positive steps in that regard. 23. In terms of more systematic and coordinated awareness-raising about leprosy and dissemination of the principles and guidelines, the Government of Japan has played a prominent role. Key points of the principles and guidelines have been translated into Japanese and posted on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 9 The human rights section of the Ministry of Justice has undertaken public awareness activities on the principles and guidelines in the form of parent-child symposiums on Hansen’s disease, with the participation of students as panellists. The Ministry also distributed brochures on the principles and guidelines in Japanese, which had been prepared by the Centre for Human Rights Education and Training (a non-profit organization) and also posted on its website. 10 The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare organized various symposiums on leprosy and distributed brochures entitled “Hansen-byo no Mukogawa” (the other side of Hansen’s disease) to schoolchildren, which provided facts about leprosy and information on the forcible isolation of persons affected by leprosy in the past. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology called upon medical schools across Japan to provide accurate medical knowledge about leprosy. Several museums have been established and the 13 national sanatoriums in Japan also served as important centres of information on leprosy and reminders of the country’s past experience of discriminatory practices against persons affected by leprosy and their family members. Zen-Ryo-Kyo, the National Hansen’s Disease Sanatoria Residents’ Association, considered that the Government of Japan had made efforts to raise as much awareness as possible on leprosy at both the national and local levels.11 24. Other States have also taken positive steps to raise awareness about leprosy and to disseminate the principles and guidelines, although those activities seemed to have been undertaken sporadically or to be limited to certain sectors of society. Such awarenessraising activities aimed at promoting non-discrimination against persons affected by leprosy 8 9 10 11 6 Some of the responses received are not reflected in the present report, as they were not available in English. Responses from Japan and the Nippon Foundation. Ibid. Ibid and Zen-Ryo-Kyo.