CRC/C/15/Add.231 page 7 Name and nationality 31. The Committee is concerned that a child of a Japanese father and foreign mother cannot obtain Japanese citizenship unless the father has recognized that child before its birth, which has, in some cases, resulted in some children being stateless. It is additionally concerned that undocumented migrants are unable to register the birth of their children, and that this has also resulted in cases of statelessness. 32. The Committee recommends that the State party amend its Nationality Law and all other relevant legislation and regulations to ensure conformity with article 7 of the Convention so that no child born in Japan should become stateless. Right to privacy 33. The Committee is concerned that children’s right to privacy is not fully respected, in particular, with regard to the searching of a child’s belongings, and the fact that staff in institutions may interfere with a child’s personal correspondence. 34. The Committee recommends that the State party: (a) Ensure the full implementation of a child’s right to privacy, including with respect to personal correspondence and searching of personal effects; (b) Amend the Minimum Standards for Child Welfare Institutions so as to bring them into conformity with article 16 of the Convention. Corporal punishment 35. The Committee notes with concern that corporal punishment, although legally prohibited in schools, is widely practised in schools, institutions and the family. 36. The Committee recommends that the State party: (a) Prohibit corporal punishment in institutions and the home; (b) Carry out public education campaigns about the negative consequences of ill-treatment of children in order to change attitudes towards corporal punishment, and promote positive, non-violent forms of discipline in schools, institutions and at home as an alternative to such punishment; (c) Strengthen complaints mechanisms for children in institutions and schools to ensure that they deal with complaints of ill-treatment effectively and in a child-sensitive manner.

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