On February 11, 2026, a lecture by a Japanese was held in Paraguay, located in the center of South America. The title of the lecture was “To Eliminate Discrimination Against People with Disabilities: What Have the Japanese Government and People with Disabilities Done? The Japanese speaker was Toshihiro Azuma, known as a “lawyer in a wheelchair” and who has long been at the forefront of Japan’s policies for persons with disabilities as Director of the Cabinet Office in charge of reforming the disability system. He is also an advisor to the Japanese government delegation to the United Nations Special Committee on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (he will retire as a lawyer in 2023). On the day of the lecture, about 50 people, including people with visual, hearing, and intellectual disabilities, as well as people involved in JICA projects, attended the event and listened to what Mr. Azuma had to say.
Paraguay ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2008, and efforts are underway to formulate a national action plan on the human rights of persons with disabilities by 2020. However, some issues remain, such as delays in the development of sidewalks and other infrastructure, and insufficient mechanisms to reflect the voices of people with disabilities in municipal policies. In light of this situation, JICA launched the “Project to Promote Social Participation of People with Disabilities” in August 2024. The project aims to promote social participation of persons with disabilities by developing a platform for dialogue between persons with disabilities and the government at the local government level in five cities. Specifically, the project supports the establishment of a platform for dialogue that brings together the National Disability and Human Rights Agency (SENADIS), the Municipal Council on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (COMUDIS), the Disability Secretariat, and organizations of persons with disabilities and support groups, as well as the capacity building of those involved in creating such a platform.
In his lecture, Mr. Higashi shared his experiences and talked about the path he has taken toward the revision of the legal system necessary for Japan to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the realization of the elimination of discrimination against persons with disabilities. The enactment of the “Law for the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities,” the “Comprehensive Support for Persons with Disabilities Act,” and the revision of the “Basic Law for Persons with Disabilities” have made great strides in guaranteeing the human rights of persons with disabilities in Japan, but the road to this point has not been an easy one. The discrimination cases collected and organized by organizations of persons with disabilities in various regions led to the enactment of ordinances to eliminate discrimination against persons with disabilities in Kumamoto and Chiba Prefectures, which is a symbolic example of the driving force behind the national movement.
The Paraguayan participants applauded Azuma’s message that “this is a time of great change for Paraguay,” that “even though we speak different languages and cultures, we share the same thoughts of people with disabilities,” and that “it is a great blessing to be able to work together with so many people with disabilities.
In March 2026, city officials and persons with disabilities involved in the implementation of disability-related policies in Paraguay are scheduled to visit Japan to learn about efforts to guarantee human rights and eliminate discrimination through collaboration between organizations and governments for persons with disabilities. Mr. Azuma is scheduled to participate as a lecturer.
Nothing about us, Without us!
Based on the philosophy of “JICA’s commitment to the disabled in Paraguay,” JICA will continue to further strengthen its collaboration with local stakeholders to promote the social participation of the disabled in Paraguay.
Photo by Yuki Tanaka
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