April 23: 32nd Anniversary of Japan's Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child - Parliamentary Rally 'Starting from Children's Voices: The Rights of Children with Foreign Roots and Japanese Society'

The "Spread it! Convention on the Rights of the Child Campaign" (hereafter referred to as the Campaign), with the certified NPO ACE (Taito-ku, Tokyo, Representative: Yuka Iwatsuki) and the Network for the Convention on the Rights of the Child (Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Representative: Akito Kita; abbreviation: NCRC) serving as its secretariat, will hold a parliamentary rally to commemorate the 32nd anniversary of Japan's ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and to consider how to guarantee the rights of children with foreign roots.

The "Basic Act on Children," which came into effect in April 2023, clearly states that all children are rights holders and that no child shall be discriminated against. It advocates for the guarantee of "education, welfare, and daily life," including for children with foreign roots. Furthermore, the "Outline on Children (Cabinet Decision on December 22, 2023)" explicitly prohibits discrimination based on race, ethnicity, nationality, and other factors.

However, the number of children living in Japan with roots abroad is increasing year by year (*), and they face various difficulties in their daily lives and at school. Prejudices and discrimination, a lack of multilingual support, and unstable living conditions due to residency status issues have a significant impact on their growth and educational opportunities. There are many cases where the "right to learn and grow safely," which all children should inherently possess, is not adequately protected.

This event aims to re-examine these issues from the perspective of "children's rights," deepen the understanding of the problems occurring on the ground, and provide an opportunity to think about the roles that society and systems should play. We hope this will be a place to share ideas and experiences from each participant's standpoint, and to consider actionable steps together with policymakers, such as members of the Diet and relevant ministries, toward building a society where children can live with peace of mind.
We cordially invite members of the press to attend.
*For example, the number of foreign national children aged 0-14 is approximately 277,000 (2024, National Institute of Population and Social Security Research). However, this does not include children with Japanese nationality who have foreign roots, or stateless children.

Event Overview
Title: 32nd Anniversary of Japan's Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child - Parliamentary Rally 'Starting from Children's Voices: The Rights of Children with Foreign Roots and Japanese Society'
Date & Time: Thursday, April 23, 2026, 17:00-18:30 / Reception starts at 16:40
Venue: Meeting Room 4, First Members' Office Building of the House of Representatives (General participants via webinar)
Capacity: 30 people
Organizer: Spread it! Convention on the Rights of the Child Campaign Executive Committee
Supported by: Parliamentary League for UNICEF, Parliamentary League to Consider Child Care and the Future
Participation Fee: Free
Event Page (For details such as speaker profiles, please refer to this link): https://crcc-20260423.peatix.com/

Notice to the Media
Taking photos or videos of the child presenters (both in the video and at the venue) during the event is strictly prohibited. Please be aware that if you do record them, we will ask you to delete the data on the spot.
If you wish to cover the event, please apply in advance using the form below. (Deadline: Friday, April 17, 2026) ▶ https://x.gd/kzwvg

Program Details (Tentative):
- Opening and explanation of purpose (5 min)
- Presentations by speakers (30 min)
1) Mr. Toru Takahashi