Indonesia Affirms Support for Palestine in UN Commemoration of UDHR

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi once again affirmed Indonesia's support for Palestine during the Human Rights 75 Initiative, the UN commemoration for the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR) in Geneva on Monday, December 11, 2023.

The commemoration is also known as International Human Rights Day. This year, Geneva held the commemorative event until Dec. 12, attended by around 16 state leaders and 20 ministerial officials.

In her speech, Minister Retno stated Indonesia's commitment to human rights in four points. Political solidarity and humanitarian support for Palestine was the first point she brought up. 

"As a selected member of the UN Human Rights Council, Indonesia once again affirms its commitment to strengthening political solidarity and humanitarian support for Palestine, including increasing its contribution to UNRWA threefolds," she said, addressing the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.

Indonesia was selected for the sixth time as a member of the UN Human Rights Council on Oct. 10, 2023, with 186 votes out of 192 countries present at the voting.

The second commitment was to continue the ratification process of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. "Once that convention is ratified, Indonesia has ratified all core international human rights instruments," she said.

Third, Indonesia is committed to protecting and honoring the rights of persons with disability, including by strengthening the role of the National Disability Commission. This commission was formed in 2020 to ensure the implementation of honor, protection, and human rights fulfillment for persons with disability in Indonesia.

The fourth and last commitment from Indonesia was the implementation of the National Strategy on Business and Human Rights, provided under Presidential Regulation No. 60 of 2023 as guidelines for businesspeople to honor human rights in the business sector.

Indonesia also expressed the joint commitment of ASEAN members and Timor Leste to strengthening human rights cooperation in the region.

After commemorating Human Rights Day at the UN, Minister Retno will speak in the high-level UN meeting concerning the human rights situation in Palestine on Tuesday, Dec. 12, and speak at the Global Refugees Forum on Wednesday, Dec. 13.

NABIILA AZZAHRA A.

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