Tribratanews.polri.go.id – Jakarta. RI Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi urged all nations to strengthen their commitment to upholding human rights during her attendance at the 52nd session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland on Monday (27/2/2023).
The 52nd session of the UN Human Rights Council coincided with the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. “The 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights must be a momentum to strengthen our commitment to upholding human rights,” she stated.
While the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has continued to inspire transformations towards a more just, equal, and inclusive world, she emphasized the importance of close cooperation to achieve this.
“The question now is, what will we do? Will we remain silent and indifferent? Or will we work together to do even better?” she asked.
She recommended three things that should be the focus of all nations in strengthening human rights cooperation. Firstly, she urged all nations to take concrete action for humanity.
“We cannot turn a blind eye to the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Palestine. The incident in Huwara shows that the human rights and humanitarian situation in Palestine is deteriorating,” she stated.
She also emphasized that the rights of women and girl children should not be ignored, including in Afghanistan. Regarding the Myanmar issue, she stated that Indonesia, as the Chair of ASEAN, will continue to strive to communicate with all parties concerned to encourage inclusive national dialogue.
Secondly, she urged increased efforts to prevent human rights violations. She reminded us that countries have a responsibility to ensure affirmative policies, equal access to opportunities and resources, and mechanisms to seek justice for victims.
In addition, she underlined the importance of acknowledging past human rights violations and mistakes to prevent the same practices from happening in the future. Regarding this aspect, she said that the Indonesian government is committed to rehabilitating victims without neglecting legal settlement.
“This year, President Joko Widodo has acknowledged and regretted 12 incidents of past human rights violations,” she said.
Thirdly, she urged efforts to strengthen the human rights architecture in the UN Human Rights Council.
“Impartiality, transparency, and dialogue must be the main ‘spirit’ of the UN Human Rights Council. We must continue to keep the Council from politicization and the use of the Council as a tool for geopolitical rivalry,” she said.
In the region, Indonesia continues to strive to strengthen human rights mechanisms. As the Chair of ASEAN, Indonesia has declared that it will strengthen the mandate of the ASEAN Human Rights Commission, the ASEAN Commission on the Protection of Women and Children, and institutionalize regional human rights dialogue.
(ndt/antara)
