President Jokowi: Social, Economic, Cultural Rights Must Continue to be Fulfilled

President Joko Widodo delivers remarks on the commemoration of the International Human Rights Day at the State Palace in Jakarta, Friday (12/10). (Source: Screenshot)

Efforts to fulfill human rights, particularly social, economic, and cultural rights must continue to be made, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has said.

The President further said that extreme poverty must be immediately eliminated to zero percent and job opportunities must be provided as wide as possible.

“We must ensure access to education and health care services that are affordable and equitable. And we must guarantee freedom of religion and freedom to preserve customs and culture,” the President said in his remarks at the commemoration of the International Human Rights Day at the State Palace in Jakarta, Friday (12/10).

According to the President, to improve access to social, economic, and cultural justice for all Indonesian people wherever they are, the Government continues to work hard to develop frontiers, villages, and outermost regions so that the rights of all people to development can be fulfilled.

The Government, the President added, also continues to build infrastructure across the country to narrow down the gap in infrastructure, which can also lead to investment for downstreaming and create many employments.

“The goal of investment, downstreaming, and industrialization is to create as many employments as possible. And we are aware that this year, investment outside Java island is larger than that of in Java island, and it gives social assistance to help underprivileged groups,” he said.

Furthermore, the President stated that in order to provide high-quality employments for all Indonesians, the Government works hard to obtain investment from both domestic and foreign investors, issue the Job Creation Law, and improve investment ecosystem, including by improving business licensing through online single submission (OSS).

The Head of State also pointed out that in mid-2021, the Government has issued Presidential Regulation Number 53 of 2021 on 2021-2025 National Action Plan on Human Rights.

The action plan, which mainly targets women, children, indigenous groups, and persons with disabilities, is a legal basis to respect, protect, fulfill, enforce, and promote human rights in Indonesia.

“The Presidential Regulation Number 53 also underscores that human rights enforcement not only includes respect and protection of civil and political rights, but also fulfillment of economic rights, social rights, and cultural [rights], especially [the rights of] vulnerable groups. We need to protect them and their rights too,” he remarked.

In an unprecedented move, President Jokowi on December 1 inaugurated the National Disabilities Commission. The establishment of this commission shows the Government’s commitment to ensuring and monitoring that the rights of persons with disabilities are respected, protected, and fulfilled. It is also an implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

“Once again, so that every citizen has the same rights without feeling neglected and discriminated,” he said while stressing that in addition to fulfilling social, economic, and cultural rights, the guarantee of civil, political, and legal rights must also remain everyone’s focus.

“Every citizen has equal rights and status in politics and law. Every citizen is entitled to equal protection from the state regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender, or race. Every citizen is entitled to equal opportunities to receive services from the state, and is entitled to occupation and a decent living,” he remarked. (FID/UN) (DH/MUR)