Yozo Yokota

Yozo Yokota (; 17 October 1940 – 12 June 2019) was a professor of Law who acted as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar from 1992 to 1996.

Human rights work

From 1988 to 2000 Yozo Yokota was an alternate member of the UN Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities. Between 1992 and 1996 he was the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Myanmar. His reports were responsible for critical resolutions adopted by the United Nations General Assembly against the military regime in Burma. He resigned from this position in June 2006, to be replaced by Rajsoomer Lallah. His reasons were said to include career plans in Tokyo and frustration at poor support from Geneva-based human rights staff.

He was first elected to the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) in 1996. He was a member of the ICJ's Executive Committee from 2002-2004. From 2000 to 2006 he was a member of the UN Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.