Japan fields human rights envoy as Int'l Criminal Court judge

Japan on Friday endorsed Fumiko Saiga, its special envoy on human rights issues to run for one of the three vacant positions for a judge at the International Criminal Court in an election in December, Foreign Minister Taro Aso said.

The Hague-based court for trying people accused of genocides, crimes against humanity, war crimes and other crimes of serious nature has 18 judges. Three of them have to be filled following the resignations of three judges. Japan is scheduled to formally join the ICC in October, which currently has 104 state parties. Saiga, 63, was appointed in December 2005 as a special envoy to oversee human rights issues, including the cases of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea, to take part in international meetings on human rights and to work to engage the international community toward resolving the abduction issue.