Ariticle2No discrimination
- States Parties shall respect and ensure the rights set forth in the present Convention to each child within their jurisdiction without discrimination of any kind, irrespective of the child's or his or her parent's or legal guardian's race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status.
- States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that the child is protected against all forms of discrimination or punishment on the basis of the status, activities, expressed opinions, or beliefs of the child's parents, legal guardians, or family members.
Article 2 aims to eliminate discrimination against children and their families. Importantly, this article clearly states that discrimination against children and their families is not forgiven. As the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, adopted by the UN in 1969, states that “all forms of racial discrimination shall be eliminated,” discrimination against children's families also negatively affects children's mental health.
As stated in paragraph 2 of this article, “all forms of discrimination” includes various forms of discrimination such as race, gender, social status, disability, and discrimination in inheritance, which requires not only awareness-raising but also legal protection. Examples of recent Japanese measures include the Hate Speech Act which came into force in 2016 in Japan, and the Act on the Promotion of the Elimination of Buraku Discrimination.