On visit to East Asia, UN rights chief to address largest gathering of women judges

The United Nations human rights chief is scheduled to address the world’s largest gathering of women judges during an upcoming visit to East Asia that includes stops in the Republic of Korea and Japan.

Navi Pillay, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, will be the keynote speaker at the International Association of Women Judges’ 10th Biennial International Conference on 12 May in Seoul.

While in the Korean capital, Ms. Pillay will also meet the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, ChunYoung-woo.

The High Commissioner then heads to Japan on 13 May to hold talks with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, Minister of Foreign Affairs Katsuya Okada and Minister of Justice Keiko Chiba.

During her stay in Tokyo, she will also meet with other senior government officials, members of the Diet (parliament), the Japanese Federation of Bar Associations and representatives of civil society and of minority groups, as well as with the Association of the Families of Victims Abducted by North Korea.

Ms. Pillay’s three-day visit to Japan also includes discussions with the Vice-Rector of the UN University, which is located in Tokyo, and senior UN staff stationed in the country.