Please sign the petition against the “incorporation” of the Science Council of Japan threatening academic freedom!

Japanese version

Purpose of the petition

The Japanese government plans to enact a new “Act on the Science Council of Japan” during the current Diet session. The bill aims to abolish the current Science Council of Japan (SCJ), the nation's equivalent of the national science academy since 1949, which has offered scientific advice to the government quite independently, and replace it with a new one to which the government can intervene and control by incorporation.

Normally, incorporation grants greater managerial independence. However, the bill introduces several surveillance mechanisms enabling government intervention and control over the SCJ.

The SCJ was established in 1949. Reflecting on the bitter experience of war time Japan, in the course of which scientists had been moblized for militery purposes, it was established, "based on the the consensus of scientists" as an institution whose mission is “to contribute to the peaceful reconstruction of our country, the welfare of human society, and the advancement of science in cooperation with the global academic community.” (The preamble of the current Act on SCJ, 1948). It has responded to governmental inquiries, made recommendations and proposals, and has played an active role in the welfare of Japanese society and the advancement of science.

Nowadays we are faced with numerous issues which should be tackled with and overcome from a global perspective, such as climate crisis, frequent and large-scale natural disasters, COVID-19 andthe other pandemics, wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and socio-economic (in case of Japan, the “loss of momentum of economic growth" for the past 30 Years!). Under such circumstances, the role of the SCJ, which can offer proposals and possible solutions based on scientific knowledge, independently of the government, is getting more important.

However, ever since the notorious incident in 2020, when Prime Minister Mr. Yoshihide Suga quite unlawfully refused to appoint the six candidates for the SCJ membership (duly recommended by the SCJ), the Japanese government has been continuously ignoring the SCJ’s independence, trying to intervene. Now, it plans to enact a new law for the "incorporation" of SCJ. It aims to deprive the SCJ of its independence and autonomy, and transform it into an organisation subjected to governmental control, which will be exercised various devices, such as "auditors" appointed by the Prime Minister, the "review committee" established in the Cabinet Office, and the “advisory committee for the selection of members” organised by outsiders.

It is unacceptable that the present government, which has no majority in the Diet, dares to enact such a bill aimed at totally dismantling the SCJ so hastily, without any substantial discussion in the Diet. If we citizens raise our voices and the opposition parties work closely together, we can put pressure on the government and compel it to withdraw this bill. Together, we have the power to influence the Diet and defeat this bill, but we need your support to make it happen.

If you agree with the above purpose, please express your support for our initiative by signing this petition.
          
Please note that the names of the signatories will be made public. In case you do not wish your name to be publicised, please indicate it by checking the appropriate box.

This petition is being campaigned for by the following citizen movements.
- University Forum
- Japan Scientists' Association
- Japanese Coalition against Military Research in Academia
- Japan Democratic Lawyer's Association
- Save Constitutional Democracy Japan 2014
- Association of Scholars Opposed to the Security-related Laws
- Association for the Protection of Academic and Expression Freedom
- Hokkaido Universities Appeal Group
- Japan War Dead Students Memorial Society
- History Educationalist Conference of Osaka
and the other seven organisations