APSN | Komnas Perempuan urges gov't to guarantee human rights following UN review

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Komnas Perempuan urges gov't to guarantee human rights following UN review

Jakarta Globe - May 4, 2017

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Jakarta – The National Commission on Violence Against Women, or Komnas Perempuan, urged the government to adopt international recommendations on human rights issues voiced during the country's review at the 27th session of the UN Universal Periodic Review, or UPR, in Geneva, Switzerland, on Wednesday (03/05).

In a press statement received by the Jakarta Globe, Komnas Perempuan emphasized the need to implement UPR's recommendations to ensure justice for victims of human rights abuses in the country.

Indonesia's review by the UPR was its third since the council was created in 2006 to record human rights abuses by member countries of the United Nations. The Southeast Asian country was previously reviewed in 2008, and again in 2012.

According to Komnas Perempuan, who sent two commissioners to the Geneva review, four human rights issues in the country were highlighted by fellow member states.

Those include Indonesia's continued application of the death penalty, religious intolerance and discrimination toward minorities, women's rights issues and the need to guarantee the rights of vulnerable groups.

"Human rights are part of our DNA as a democratic, pluralist and diverse nation," Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said during her opening speech at the session.

Retno added that Indonesia has made a lot of progress since its most recent UPR in 2012 by enacting a series of human rights-based legislative measures and increasing cooperation with civil society institutions in the country.

At least 55 member states highlighted the need to guarantee women's rights in their recommendations, outlining a course of action for the government to take to prevent harmful practices against women and minority groups, including child marriage and female circumcision.

Many states emphasized the government's duty to end impunity enjoyed by certain sects of Indonesian society for past human rights abuses.

"Indonesia needs to adopt fellow member states' recommendations to the largest extent possible, as a form of commitment to the progress of human rights and a form of respect toward other nations," Komnas Perempuan said in its statement.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.id/news/komnas-perempuan-urges-govt-guarantee-human-rights-following-un-review/.