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Press Release
24 November 2023
UN Expert Calls for Emergency Response to Save Rohingya Lives at Sea
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Story
23 November 2023
Standing Against Gender-Based Violence: RC Voices from the Ground Around the World, Including Indonesia
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Video
22 November 2023
UN Teams Working on Energy Access and Affordability - Indonesia and South Africa
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Latest
The Sustainable Development Goals in Indonesia
The United Nations is committed to working with the Government of Indonesia to building a nation that is prosperous, democratic, and just, where development benefits all people, and where the rights of future generations are protected. True to the promise of the SDGs to “leave no one behind”, the UN’s approach combines a strong focus on the poorest of the poor, combatting discrimination and rising inequalities and addressing their root causes. “Leaving no one behind” means prioritizing people’s dignity and placing the progress of the most marginalized and vulnerable communities first. This central and transformative promise has become more important than ever to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and work towards a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive recovery.
Publication
28 June 2023
United Nations in Indonesia Country Results Report 2022
The UN in Indonesia's Annual Results Report 2022 provides a comprehensive overview of the UN's work and impact against the backdrop of a difficult economic situation both globally and to some extent also in Indonesia. The war in Ukraine, and the food, energy and financial crises in its wake were unexpected challenges for countries worldwide. Despite such headwinds, Indonesia navigated the situation better than most. The report highlights development outcomes as the country were recovering from COVID-19 while advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and improving the lives of citizens.
The collaborative efforts of the Government of Indonesia, international development partners, and member states are recognized as instrumental in achieving the SDGs. The report is illustrated with 30 "stories" of individuals who - thanks to projects by various UN agencies - are no longer left behind. For detailed insights into the UN's work and the country's progress, please download the full report attached.
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Publication
07 June 2023
Better Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights for All in Indonesia (BERANI) Programme Fact Sheet
The Government of Indonesia, UNFPA, and UNICEF have been working together through the Better Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights for All in Indonesia (BERANI) Programme from 2018 to 2023. This joint effort aims to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights for women and young people across the country.
Under the BERANI Programme, several key areas have been focused on, including enhancing midwifery education and regulation, strengthening partnerships to improve family planning, providing youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services and information, strengthening the health sector's response to gender-based violence, and community outreach and empowerment.
Throughout the programme, significant achievements have been made. Over 20 policies, advocacy strategies, and roadmaps were developed to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights. Midwifery education centers have implemented high-quality standards, leading to increased pass rates in national competency exams. Private clinics have been strengthened to provide quality youth-friendly services, and community health centers have been capacitated to respond effectively to gender-based violence.
Additionally, a considerable number of young people have benefited from the programme. Thousands of adolescents have received comprehensive sexuality education and information on menstrual hygiene management. Digital content creators have been trained to develop sexual and reproductive health-related content, reaching a combined audience of over 600,000 young people.
The BERANI Programme highlights the commitment to leaving no one behind, ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their background, have access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services and information. The BERANI fact sheet is downloadable through the button below this article.
#BERANI #ReproductiveHealth #GenderEquality
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Story
29 May 2023
Baristas behind bars: From serving time to serving lattes
Perfectly foamed milk. A delicate butterfly enswirled atop. A bittersweet tang on the palate. A perfect cappuccino? It is beyond that. This particular cup was masterfully frothed and served by Denny, an inmate in Tangerang, west of Jakarta, who joined a UN-supported training programme to help prisoners to re-integrate into society after serving time.
“I want to make the most of my time, even in prison, and this training should help me find a job later,” said Denny, 31, who has just over two years left of a five-year prison sentence. “Of course, I knew how to make a coffee before, but here I am learning about different flavours, smells and aromas, and about the artistic side of coffee making.”
Denny is one of 200 inmates in the Tangerang Class IIA Correctional Facility and among more than 35,000 inmates across Indonesia who are involved in vocational training, from eco-printing on textiles to farming. While learning how to be a barista behind bars, he said he hopes to get a job in a café following his release.
Salis Farida Fitriani, who heads the correctional facility, said the programme aims at building a better future, but skills training alone is not enough for inmates to succeed in the outside world.
To deal with a society that often stigmatizes them for life, she said, the prison offers training in personality development, counselling, and religious teaching.
“Our goal is to provide positive activities and training for the inmates,” she said. “The programme includes personality development as well as vocational training to help with their future livelihoods.”
Breaking the ‘ex-con’ stigma
Starting a business is hard after serving time in prison, said Haswin, a 32-year-old former drug offender. Leaving the Tangerang correctional facility in January 2022, he now operates his own coffee shop, mixing modern and traditional coffee styles alongside mocktails and snacks.
“Life is so much better now,” said Haswin, adding that his former bartending job was a prime factor in his involvement with drug-related offences that led to his arrest in 2018.
“I am more content with life and proud of my creativity,” he explained. “I had never thought I could find a career outside nightlife.”
Now, his work is not just a “means to make ends meet”, but a new opportunity.
“I want to break the stigma around ‘ex-cons’ by showing that former offenders can also be independent and creative,” he said.
From sports to university programmes
Tangerang Class IIA gives prisoners a chance to do that. They can also compete in professional sports at Tangerang, a prison unique in Indonesia for offering a full university education programme. Open to prisoners across Indonesia, a pilot programme currently serving 200 inmates is poised to roll out countrywide, subject to funding, Ms. Fitriani said.
Asep, a third-year Islamic studies student with Syekh Yusuf Islamic University, said he, like many in the programme, could not afford to go to university in his life before prison.
“I was always keen to learn, but my economic situation did not make it possible for me to study,” he said.
Following the same curriculum the university offers to its regular students, Asep and his schoolmates attend classes thrice weekly for six hours each day. After graduation and before the end of his prison sentence, Asep said he hopes to help his fellow prisoners by offering religious counselling.
“I get to learn a lot about the world and about life outside,” he said. “It helps me cope better with my long sentence. It will help the others, too.”
Tailored to inmates’ needs
Supported by the UN Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC), the training programmes are designed with help from a set of assessment tools that provide evidence-based approaches tailored to inmates’ individual needs.
Corrections officers use these tools to evaluate and better understand inmates, including the level of security risk they may pose, their compatibility with the programme, and their likely response to education.
Within UNODC’s prisoner rehabilitation initiative, which focuses on education, vocational training, and employment during incarceration, the goal is to contribute to the prisoners’ employability after release, thus reducing chances of recidivism.
With this in mind, the agency partnered with Indonesia’s Directorate-General of Corrections to create an assessment matrix that helps corrections officers to build psychological and security profiles of prisoners and enables staff to keep track of their progress, said Rabby Pramudatama, a programme manager at UNODC’s Jakarta office.
“We need to make sure, for instance, that we get inmates who are unlikely to disturb the classes and will cooperate with teachers and their fellow students,” he said.
Second chances
UNODC also collaborates and supports such non-governmental organizations as Second Chance, which help inmates to reintegrate into society once they are out of the facility.
On a quiet morning, some inmates were reviewing verses from the Quran, while others gathered around to watch a pair of sparring kickboxers. As rain set in, they spoke of the sunshine that was bound to break through, sooner or later.
For Denny, he said the sunshine will come on the day when he, too, can get out and find a job.
“My main drive right now is to be a better person than I was before,” he said, adding that until that day, he will focus on religious activities and brewing perfect cappuccinos in barista classes.
Learn more about how UNODC is helping to reform prisons across the world here.
This article was initially published by UN News in this link: https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/06/1137212
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Publication
30 May 2023
UN in Indonesia Newsletter 2023 Volume 1
We are pleased to present the first edition of the UN in Indonesia Newsletter for the year 2023. This newsletter provides an overview of the significant work carried out by the United Nations in Indonesia from January to April, highlighting our commitment to sustainable development and inclusivity.
In this edition, our focus is on SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. By fostering strong collaborations and partnerships between governments, private sector, and civil society, we aim to accelerate progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and creating a better future for all.
Through the newsletter, we strive to bring the United Nations closer to the people we serve, ensuring that no one is left behind in our pursuit of sustainable development. It features inspiring stories from various UN agencies in Indonesia, showcasing their remarkable initiatives and efforts in promoting inclusivity and advancing sustainable development goals.
One of the featured projects in this edition sheds light on the vocational training program at the Tangerang Class IIA Correctional Facility. With the support of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), this program equips prisoners with essential skills to facilitate their successful reintegration into society after completing their sentences. It exemplifies our commitment to empowering individuals and contributing to positive social change.
As we navigate the post-pandemic era, it is imperative that we make up for the lost time and expedite our efforts towards achieving the SDGs. By strengthening our collective impact and forging new pathways, we can create a more sustainable and inclusive world for present and future generations.
You can access the downloadable newsletter in both English and Bahasa Indonesia below of this page.
Together, let us make a lasting difference and work towards a world where everyone can thrive.
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Take Action
05 May 2023
Nakba Day
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the mass displacement of Palestinians, known as “the Nakba” or “the Catastrophe”. This anniversary puts the spotlight on the world’s longest-standing protracted refugee crisis, as over 5.3 M Palestine refugees still live amidst conflict.
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23 November 2023
Standing Against Gender-Based Violence: RC Voices from the Ground Around the World, Including Indonesia
Around the world, almost one in three women experience physical or sexual violence, yet on average less than 0.2 per cent of government aid is directed towards its prevention.
To reverse these trends and eliminate gender-based violence, we need to invest more resources in robust prevention measures, including better legislation, stronger support to women’s organizations and an expansion of services for survivors.
At the country level, our UN Resident Coordinators are on the ground advocating this message and raising their voices in support of the rights of women and girls everywhere.
Speaking ahead of this year’s ‘16 Days of Activism for the Elimination of Violence Against Women’ campaign (25 Nov- 10 Dec) the Resident Coordinators share some of the ways they are pushing for strong action on prevention and why these efforts are so crucial for the achievement of gender-equality and the Sustainable Development Goals.
“Let’s call it what it is: violence against women is shameful and a direct and unquestionable violation of human rights and the dignity of women, and of international treaties and basic ethical principles. Yet, gender-based violence is unfortunately a fact of life for one in three women, or more than one billion women around the world. In Indonesia, we work with the government and civil society organizations to support and promote women’s rights and full gender equality, for a world free of gender-based violence.” Valerie Julliand, UN Resident Coordinator in Indonesia "In Moldova it is critical that we keep supporting the Government to create a life free from violence for every woman and girl. Promoting the establishment of the first National Agency on Gender-based Violence in the region, coupled with policy development, implementation of action plans, and enacting legislation- these are just some of ways we are standing with Moldova in its path towards the elimination of violence against women and girls. To address the needs of all those affected, it’s important that we keep pushing for survivor-centered approaches.” Simon Springett, UN Resident Coordinator in Moldova “We’re seeing a global recession on this issue which we’ve worked so hard to address. We still don’t have a recognition about the need for gender-equality including the elimination of violence against women. In Costa Rica we’ve seen how women are the targets of hate speech and online digital violence, so we’ve been working really hard to give space to women voices and bring everyone around the table.” Allegra Baiochhi, UN Resident Coordinator in Costa Rica "Investing in prevention is a responsibility shared by all, and public/private partnership is a driver to ending all forms of violence against women and girls. In Egypt, the private sector is instrumental in creating safer workplaces allowing women to access economic resources and become less vulnerable to violence; and through their social and public influence, shift the stereotypes that are at the root of all forms of violence against women and girls." Elena Panova, UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt "Amid Haiti's deepening crisis, I remain profoundly concerned by the surge in brutal sexual and gender-based violence that not only causes unimaginable suffering and trauma for too many women and girls but also undermines the peace and development dividend. But I also witness the incredible strength, courage and leadership roles of the Haitian women and girls. This power can transform despair into hope and resolve. With the needed national leadership, collective action and political will, solutions can be found to effectively enhance support for survivors and improve police and justice responses to end impunity." Ulrika Richardson, UN Resident Coordinator in Haiti “This International Day is a great opportunity to prioritize and invest in the well-being of women and girls. The UN in Georgia has advocated for alignment of legislation and policies with the Istanbul Convention and establishment of fully state-funded support services for the victims of violence. We continue to speak up to help change harmful attitudes and social norms that normalize violence against women and girls.” Sabine Machl, UN Resident Coordinator in Georgia “In Timor-Leste, the Spotlight Initiative is the embodiment of how the UN is coming together and building inclusive strategies to address violence against women and girls. To sustain these achievements, we need partnerships which put women and girls at the centre and empower them to engage with their representatives and hold the government to account. Given global trends of gender equality backlash, we need to stay alert and keep dedicating resources to counter any regression.” Funmi Balogun-Alexander, UN Resident Coordinator in Timor-Leste “In Kenya, one in three women have experienced gender-based violence at one point in their lives and one in five teenage girls are pregnant. To address this, we’ve come together around a joint prorgramme which is working to strengthen the policy and legislative framework and tackle both prevention and response. This is bringing us much closer to the women and girls affected by gender-based violence, particularly in urban and informal settings and at-risk populations including migrants and refugees." Stephen Jackson, UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya This article has been published in the United Nations Development Coordination Office's (DCO) site through this link: Standing against gender-based violence: RC voices from the ground (https://un-dco.org/stories/standing-against-gender-based-violence-rc-voices-ground)
“Let’s call it what it is: violence against women is shameful and a direct and unquestionable violation of human rights and the dignity of women, and of international treaties and basic ethical principles. Yet, gender-based violence is unfortunately a fact of life for one in three women, or more than one billion women around the world. In Indonesia, we work with the government and civil society organizations to support and promote women’s rights and full gender equality, for a world free of gender-based violence.” Valerie Julliand, UN Resident Coordinator in Indonesia "In Moldova it is critical that we keep supporting the Government to create a life free from violence for every woman and girl. Promoting the establishment of the first National Agency on Gender-based Violence in the region, coupled with policy development, implementation of action plans, and enacting legislation- these are just some of ways we are standing with Moldova in its path towards the elimination of violence against women and girls. To address the needs of all those affected, it’s important that we keep pushing for survivor-centered approaches.” Simon Springett, UN Resident Coordinator in Moldova “We’re seeing a global recession on this issue which we’ve worked so hard to address. We still don’t have a recognition about the need for gender-equality including the elimination of violence against women. In Costa Rica we’ve seen how women are the targets of hate speech and online digital violence, so we’ve been working really hard to give space to women voices and bring everyone around the table.” Allegra Baiochhi, UN Resident Coordinator in Costa Rica "Investing in prevention is a responsibility shared by all, and public/private partnership is a driver to ending all forms of violence against women and girls. In Egypt, the private sector is instrumental in creating safer workplaces allowing women to access economic resources and become less vulnerable to violence; and through their social and public influence, shift the stereotypes that are at the root of all forms of violence against women and girls." Elena Panova, UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt "Amid Haiti's deepening crisis, I remain profoundly concerned by the surge in brutal sexual and gender-based violence that not only causes unimaginable suffering and trauma for too many women and girls but also undermines the peace and development dividend. But I also witness the incredible strength, courage and leadership roles of the Haitian women and girls. This power can transform despair into hope and resolve. With the needed national leadership, collective action and political will, solutions can be found to effectively enhance support for survivors and improve police and justice responses to end impunity." Ulrika Richardson, UN Resident Coordinator in Haiti “This International Day is a great opportunity to prioritize and invest in the well-being of women and girls. The UN in Georgia has advocated for alignment of legislation and policies with the Istanbul Convention and establishment of fully state-funded support services for the victims of violence. We continue to speak up to help change harmful attitudes and social norms that normalize violence against women and girls.” Sabine Machl, UN Resident Coordinator in Georgia “In Timor-Leste, the Spotlight Initiative is the embodiment of how the UN is coming together and building inclusive strategies to address violence against women and girls. To sustain these achievements, we need partnerships which put women and girls at the centre and empower them to engage with their representatives and hold the government to account. Given global trends of gender equality backlash, we need to stay alert and keep dedicating resources to counter any regression.” Funmi Balogun-Alexander, UN Resident Coordinator in Timor-Leste “In Kenya, one in three women have experienced gender-based violence at one point in their lives and one in five teenage girls are pregnant. To address this, we’ve come together around a joint prorgramme which is working to strengthen the policy and legislative framework and tackle both prevention and response. This is bringing us much closer to the women and girls affected by gender-based violence, particularly in urban and informal settings and at-risk populations including migrants and refugees." Stephen Jackson, UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya This article has been published in the United Nations Development Coordination Office's (DCO) site through this link: Standing against gender-based violence: RC voices from the ground (https://un-dco.org/stories/standing-against-gender-based-violence-rc-voices-ground)
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Story
17 November 2023
Indonesian Peacekeeper serving in the Central African Republic to receive 2023 United Nations Woman Police Officer of the Year Award
New York, 13 November 2023 – The United Nations has announced that Police First Sergeant Renita Rismayanti, of Indonesia, will receive the 2023 United Nations Woman Police Officer of the Year Award on 16 November 2023.
The award will be presented during the annual United Nations Police Week, taking place at United Nations Headquarters from 13 to 17 November.
Police First Sergeant Rismayanti serves as a Crime Database Officer with the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). In this role, she has helped conceptualize and develop a criminal database that enables UN Police to map and analyse crime and disorder hotspots which, in turn, helps the country’s security forces to better plan their operations in support of the local population.
“Police First Sergeant Rismayanti’s innovation and efforts to leverage data within United Nations peacekeeping and the Central African Republic police has made a significant contribution to enhancing security for vulnerable communities, including women and girls,” said Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix. “She serves as a great example of how the participation and leadership of women in peacekeeping improve the effectiveness of our protection and peacebuilding work to better meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.”
Police First Sergeant Rismayanti says she feels fortunate to be able to use her technological skills to improve security for people across the Central African Republic. “I hope the visibility that comes from winning this award will reinforce among women and girls that all fields of expertise in policing are open to us.” At 27 years of age, she is the youngest-ever United Nations Woman Police Officer of the Year. She began her career with the Indonesian National Police as a public information officer in 2014 and has also worked in training, administration, and logistics. “Having accomplished so much by embracing technology in a traditionally male-dominated field, Police First Sergeant Rismayanti represents the future of United Nations policing,” said United Nations Police Adviser Faisal Shahkar.
“She and her colleagues are helping to build trust and confidence between local authorities and communities, which makes the work of the United Nations Police more effective and people safer.” The United Nations Woman Police Officer of the Year award was established in 2011 to recognize the exceptional contributions of women police officers to UN peace operations and to promote women’s empowerment. BIOGRAPHY Renita Rismayanti is an Indonesian Police Officer, now serving as individual police officer in MINUSCA (United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic) as a criminal database officer in Section Intelligence and Crime Analysis.
Before being deployed as an IPO in June 2022, she was posted in the Peacekeeping Training and Administration Office, where she excelled in various responsibilities including personnel selection, competency assessments, and logistics procurement for pre-deployment training for 5 years. She has also worked in the Public Information Officer and experienced in building people's awareness about crime prevention.
This 27-year-old woman dreams to drive positive change in the world. In her free time, she likes to travel to new places and look for any opportunity to turn ideas into reality. * The award will be presented during Police Week, the annual gathering of heads of United Nations police components from peacekeeping operations, special political missions and other offices, and includes interactive engagements with United Nations senior leadership and briefings to the United Nations Security Council and the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations of the General Assembly. About 10,000 United Nations Police are authorized to serve in 16 United Nations peace operations, where they work to enhance international peace and security by supporting host countries in conflict, post-conflict, and other crisis situations. Women’s participation in United Nations Police has doubled since 2015. As of today, the United Nations Police have exceeded all the 2023 targets set out in the Department’s Uniformed Gender Parity Strategy. And in two of four categories of personnel, the United Nations Police has already surpassed the 2028 target. As of September 2023, women police officers make up 43.1% of contracted professional officers in the United Nations Headquarters, 24.6% of contracted professional officers in the field, 31.8% of individual police officers and 15.6% of members of Formed Police Units. Women also occupy six out of 13 positions (i.e., 46.2%) as heads or deputy heads of police in Mali, Cyprus, Kosovo South Sudan Abyei.
The award ceremony will be held at United Nations Headquarters on 16 November
from 1 to 2 PM EST and broadcast live on UN Web TV: https://media.un.org/en/webtv Download digital assets on the United Nations Woman Police Officer of the Year Award here: https://trello.com/b/9UnA0xfJ/un-police-week-2023
Media contacts: Douglas Coffman
Peace & Security Section
UN Department of Global Communications
Email : coffmand@un.org
Cell : +1 917 361-9923
“Police First Sergeant Rismayanti’s innovation and efforts to leverage data within United Nations peacekeeping and the Central African Republic police has made a significant contribution to enhancing security for vulnerable communities, including women and girls,” said Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix. “She serves as a great example of how the participation and leadership of women in peacekeeping improve the effectiveness of our protection and peacebuilding work to better meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.”
Police First Sergeant Rismayanti says she feels fortunate to be able to use her technological skills to improve security for people across the Central African Republic. “I hope the visibility that comes from winning this award will reinforce among women and girls that all fields of expertise in policing are open to us.” At 27 years of age, she is the youngest-ever United Nations Woman Police Officer of the Year. She began her career with the Indonesian National Police as a public information officer in 2014 and has also worked in training, administration, and logistics. “Having accomplished so much by embracing technology in a traditionally male-dominated field, Police First Sergeant Rismayanti represents the future of United Nations policing,” said United Nations Police Adviser Faisal Shahkar.
“She and her colleagues are helping to build trust and confidence between local authorities and communities, which makes the work of the United Nations Police more effective and people safer.” The United Nations Woman Police Officer of the Year award was established in 2011 to recognize the exceptional contributions of women police officers to UN peace operations and to promote women’s empowerment. BIOGRAPHY Renita Rismayanti is an Indonesian Police Officer, now serving as individual police officer in MINUSCA (United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic) as a criminal database officer in Section Intelligence and Crime Analysis.
Before being deployed as an IPO in June 2022, she was posted in the Peacekeeping Training and Administration Office, where she excelled in various responsibilities including personnel selection, competency assessments, and logistics procurement for pre-deployment training for 5 years. She has also worked in the Public Information Officer and experienced in building people's awareness about crime prevention.
This 27-year-old woman dreams to drive positive change in the world. In her free time, she likes to travel to new places and look for any opportunity to turn ideas into reality. * The award will be presented during Police Week, the annual gathering of heads of United Nations police components from peacekeeping operations, special political missions and other offices, and includes interactive engagements with United Nations senior leadership and briefings to the United Nations Security Council and the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations of the General Assembly. About 10,000 United Nations Police are authorized to serve in 16 United Nations peace operations, where they work to enhance international peace and security by supporting host countries in conflict, post-conflict, and other crisis situations. Women’s participation in United Nations Police has doubled since 2015. As of today, the United Nations Police have exceeded all the 2023 targets set out in the Department’s Uniformed Gender Parity Strategy. And in two of four categories of personnel, the United Nations Police has already surpassed the 2028 target. As of September 2023, women police officers make up 43.1% of contracted professional officers in the United Nations Headquarters, 24.6% of contracted professional officers in the field, 31.8% of individual police officers and 15.6% of members of Formed Police Units. Women also occupy six out of 13 positions (i.e., 46.2%) as heads or deputy heads of police in Mali, Cyprus, Kosovo South Sudan Abyei.
The award ceremony will be held at United Nations Headquarters on 16 November
from 1 to 2 PM EST and broadcast live on UN Web TV: https://media.un.org/en/webtv Download digital assets on the United Nations Woman Police Officer of the Year Award here: https://trello.com/b/9UnA0xfJ/un-police-week-2023
Media contacts: Douglas Coffman
Peace & Security Section
UN Department of Global Communications
Email : coffmand@un.org
Cell : +1 917 361-9923
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Story
03 October 2023
Indonesia begins process to get rid of carcinogenic substance
When an out-of-use transformer spilled toxic liquid onto the ground at the Goodyear Indonesia tyre plant in Bogor in 2015, management realized that a long-term solution was needed to deal with the carcinogenic Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) they had been storing for decades. Today, Goodyear is free of all of its PCB-contaminated material.
“Properly disposing of the PCBs once and for all cost much less than dealing with spills or even the risks of spills,” said Lydia Andalucia, Environment, Health and Safety Manager.
Indonesia, along with most other countries in the world, signed the Stockholm Convention to rid the world of 31 toxic chemicals, including PCBs whose use is now banned worldwide. However, until last May, Indonesia lacked the facilities to properly treat and safely dispose of the chemicals. All that changed thanks to a project by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, supported by the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and funded by the Global Environmental Facility, to open the country’s first plant to treat, in an environmentally friendly fashion, PCBs. According to UNIDO’s estimate, there are 200,000 tonnes of the chemical substance and another 600,000 tonnes of PCB-contaminated materials in Indonesia.
The PCB Waste Destruction Facility, managed by Prasadha Pamunah Limbah Industri (PPLi) in Nambo Village, some 40 kilometers south of Jakarta, has the capacity to handle 20 tonnes of liquid waste and 10 tonnes of solid waste per day. Goodyear, which had 20 tonnes to treat, was one of their first customers.
“We need to build awareness around this new capability, so that more and more companies currently storing PCBs and PCB-contaminated materials will opt for safe treatment and disposal,” said Elpido, PPLi’s Director of Safety, Health, Environment and Quality.
Due to their favourable properties, PCBs were used in a wide range of applications, most importantly as insulating fluids in transformers, but were also used in paints, sealants and carbon paper. However, PCBs can cause serious health effects in people and animals, including reproductive impairment and immune system dysfunctions. Once in the environment, PCBs enter the food chain. More than 90% of human exposure to PCBs is through food. (For more on the situation of PCBs in Indonesia and the government’s commitment to safe disposal, read this press release.)
The production and new use of PCBs are banned, and Parties to the Stockholm Convention must eliminate the use of PCBs in equipment by 2025 and ensure the environmentally sound waste management of liquids containing PCBs and equipment contaminated with PCB by 2028.
Treating PCBs
Treatment is a painstaking process. First, experts need to carefully drain the oil from the transformers. They then dismantle the metal pieces and use a special solvent to decontaminate them. After this process, the metal parts can be recycled or disposed of like ordinary metal waste, while the oil and other liquid generated needs to be treated, so that – once free of PCBs – it can be reused or incinerated. The PCBs are neutralized in a sludge and can be either put into landfills or burnt in high-thermal incinerators.
While Indonesia had been eliminating PCBs through incineration since as early as in 1996, in 2012, the burning of the substance was prohibited. This means that between 2012 and May, 2023, the country lacked any means of getting rid of the substances.
UNIDO promotes the use of non-combustion methods for PCB destruction, as recommended by the Stockholm Convention. The alternative method, using technology installed with the technical support of UNIDO in 26 countries, including Indonesia, is environmentally sound as it neither emits CO2 nor the toxic gases dioxin and furan.
So far, the plant has treated around 80 tonnes of PCBs – below its capacity, said Elpido.
Utilities as well as companies in the mining, petrochemical and oil and gas sectors – which require high voltage for manufacturing processes and therefore transformers – store most of the country’s PCBs. PPLi experts are in discussion with many of them, including national electricity company PLN, to develop a roadmap and a timeline for the delivery of PCBs and PCB-contaminated materials and then treating them.
“Indonesia is a pioneer in this area in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Elpido. “Now with a facility in place, compliance with the deadlines set in the Convention requires advocacy and enforcement.”
As for Goodyear, it is happy to get the PCB problem off its mind and the toxic substance off the premises. “We are helping the environment, and people’s health as well as the company’s bottom line in the long run by not having to store and manage such dangerous product,” Andalucia said.
This part of the article has been published in UNIDO' site through this link: Indonesia begins process to get rid of carcinogenic substance | UNIDO | United Nations (https://www.unido.org/stories/indonesia-begins-process-get-rid-carcinogenic-substance)
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Story
19 September 2023
The Number of Companies Promoting the UN’s Women’s Empowerment Principles Skyrockets
Opening a bakery, becoming a professional designer, operating a home-tailoring business—three aspirations that just months ago would have been unthinkable to the cohort of eight women and girls about to graduate from Kartini Blue Bird, a corporate social responsibility initiative that aims to economically empower the daughters and wives of the mostly male drivers at Indonesia’s largest taxi operator, Blue Bird.
“I’m proud of myself because I get a lot of orders from my family and friends—they trust me enough to do that,” says Yulis Asianti, 50, who studied tailoring over the course of the 24-week programme. “I used to be very shy and feel like I couldn’t do anything. Now I can brag about my achievements,” she adds
Rila Wati Harahap, a 26-year-old soon-to-be graduate, wearing a red hijab and matching dress she had sewn on the course, reflected on her new sense of self-sufficiency: “I can make my own clothes. I don’t have to rely on anyone,” she said.
The Kartini Blue Bird programme is just one of the initiatives rolled out by an increasing number of Indonesian companies that have pledged to the Women’s Empowerment Principles, or WEPs, established by UN WOMEN and the United Nations Global Compact in 2010. From just 14 Indonesian companies in 2019, signatories to the WEPs—which are designed to empower women in workplaces, marketplaces, and communities—grew more than tenfold to 177 by February 2023.
“In addition to better performance due to diversity in their management teams, companies that care about their employees and invest more in women in the community will achieve better results for their bottom line and the wider community and environment,” says Jamshed Kazi, UN Women’s representative in Indonesia. “Gender sensitive business practices are good both for business and for creating a just society.”
The principles encourage progressive initiatives such as Blue Bird’s Kartini programme, which provides participants with new skills and in some cases an additional income stream that can be used to keep children in education. They also help mobilize employees around measurable goals, says Blue Bird Group CEO and Chair Noni Purnomo. Those goals include the company’s aim to have women comprise 25% of management by 2024—a target that may not be easy to meet in the traditionally male dominated transportation sector.
“We can’t do it alone,” says Ms. Purnomo, “By having the WEP pledge, it helped me to encourage other people [in the company] to be involved, and it acted as a guideline to show how we could embed [women’s empowerment] in our company policies.”
Since 2020, UN Women has hosted awards ceremonies to recognize the achievements of companies that have signed up to the seven principles, which range from establishing high-level corporate leadership for gender equality, to promoting education, training, and professional development for women, to measuring and publicly reporting on progress towards gender equality.
Acting on the principles is especially critical in the wake of COVID-19. Research by UN Women suggests the pandemic has increased the gender gap in women’s wages and workforce participation globally, increased the burden of unpaid household labour, increased incidence of gender-based violence, and exacerbated challenges faced by those in precarious work. But even before COVID-19, businesses were progressing far too slowly on gender equality. In 2023, the World Economic Forum estimated that based on the current pace of change it will take 131 years to close the overall gender gap and 169 years for economic parity.
Creative ways to help women
At creative agency Think.Web, one of the 2022 winners of the WEP Awards for Indonesia, creating an inclusive and enabling environment is crucial to ensuring women’s economic empowerment.
The company strives for gender balance across its operations, with six of its 18 senior managers—as well one of the company’s two co-CEO—being women, explains co-CEO, Ramya Prajna Sahisnu. Polices such as the option of one month paternity leave instead of the two days provisioned under Indonesian law provide opportunities for a more equal balance of childcare between men and women, he adds. “Not all the women’s empowerment policies focus on women, we also consider policies for men that will impact women workers through fostering a more gender equal environment.”
For Mr. Sahisnu, winning a WEP as a 50-employee organization, alongside much larger companies, conferred an honour distinct from the creative industry awards for which the company usually competes. “As a small company, this gives us confidence that doing purposeful work and having empowerment as one of our four key pillars can create a big impact,” he says.
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Story
15 September 2023
Breaking the Taboo: Health Workers in Papua Explore New Outreach Methods to Promote Youth HIV Testing
Even a decade later, Maria Jeklin Maker is not sure of the exact circumstances that led to her cousin’s death. The few details Ms. Maker received, aged 16, had come from her aunt: her cousin had HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, and people in their community avoided her for fear of contracting it.
As a trainee nurse, Ms. Maker, now 26, knows how misguided those people’s fears were. She also knows it will soon be her job to give patients accurate information about HIV. Still, when it came to finding out her own status, the experience made her hesitate: “There is such a lack of knowledge; stigma and discrimination are still high in Papua.”
Despite the widespread availability of antiretroviral medicines that enable people living with HIV to enjoy long, healthy lives, an estimated 26,000 people died of AIDS in Indonesia in 2022. In Papua, Indonesia’s easternmost region, HIV prevalence is almost 7 times the national average, the Ministry of Health estimated in 2022. The Ministry's data also reveals that about 48% of people living with HIV in the Indonesian half of Papua Island were unaware that they had contracted the virus.
With nearly half of Indonesia’s new HIV infections occurring among people aged 15–24, youth civil society network Inti Muda—with the backing of UNAIDS—is fighting back against the ignorance, discrimination, and stigma that prevents youth from accessing HIV testing, treatment, and support. That starts with making health services more friendly to youth and “key populations”—a designation that refers to the communities most vulnerable to AIDS, including gay men and other men who have sex with men, transgender people, sex workers, drug users, and people living with HIV.
“Young people still encounter many challenges that prevent them from accessing the life-saving health care they need,” said Krittayawan Boonto, UNAIDS Country Director for Indonesia. Organisations like Inti Muda, she says, help equip them to “take control of the HIV response and to have direct involvement in creating safe spaces where young people can access HIV services free from stigma and discrimination.”
Stigma and discrimination are among the key factors driving the low willingness of young people in provinces like West Papua to access HIV-related support, according to a recent Inti Muda and University of Padjadjaran study. Respondents cited among other deterrents inconvenient opening hours and the remote location of clinics and hospitals, concerns about confidentiality and privacy, and judgmental attitudes from healthcare workers on issues such as sexual orientation, gender identity, and mental health.
“We are limited by which clinics we can access because many, if not most, are not youth-friendly,” said Sepi Maulana Ardiansyah, Inti Muda’s former national coordinator. “If the services are bad, young people won’t use them and they will tell other young people not to use them,” he added
Findings from the Inti Muda and University of Padjadjaran study on youth attitudes towards HIV services in Papua were among the information shared with more than 50 healthcare workers at UNAIDS-supported training sessions held in the West Papua cities of Sentani and Jayapura in 2022.
Hilda Rumboy, a midwife in charge of the HIV Services Department at the Waibu Primary Health Center in Papua’s Jayapura regency said the session helped her understand the diverse needs of young people and would, “allow us to improve our services to become youth-friendly, which is now our main priority.”
A year on from the training, young people feel comfortable using the services at Waibu Primary Health Center, whose staff are friendly and treat all patients equally, according to Inti Muda. Among other service upgrades, patients can now access HIV service-related appointments outside of the centre’s operating hours of 08:00 to 14:00.
In parallel with efforts to sensitise the region’s health workers to the needs of young people, Inti Muda organized a festival to generate greater demand for HIV services and engage young people directly in HIV response, which like the training for healthcare workers was supported by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). Among the more than 80 attendees was Ms. Maker, the trainee nurse, who said that hearing for the first time about the efficacy of antiretroviral medicine at the festival had given her the confidence to get tested.
After testing negative, she says she was inspired to challenge misinformation about HIV and encourage her friends to find out their status. “Don’t be afraid, because we already have the medicine to stay healthy,” she says, adding that a positive test “is not the end of the world.”
Joseph Hincks
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Press Release
24 November 2023
UN Expert Calls for Emergency Response to Save Rohingya Lives at Sea
“The crisis will only worsen without addressing its root cause – the illegal military junta of Myanmar,” warned Tom Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar.
Over 1000 Rohingya refugees arrived by boat in Indonesia’s northernmost province of Aceh in the past week.
Andrews commended the Government of Indonesia for offering safety, shelter and support to Rohingya refugees, a majority of whom are women and children in urgent need of nutrition and medical assistance. The expert called on countries in the region to follow Indonesia’s lead by safely disembarking Rohingya refugees who may arrive by boat on their shores.
“The Government of Indonesia should be congratulated for again upholding the rights of the Rohingya and facilitating disembarkation in line with domestic law,” the Special Rapporteur said. “But they cannot do it alone. This is an emergency, and an emergency response is required, including a coordinated search and rescue operation to save the lives of those who may be stranded on overcrowded, unseaworthy vessels.”
Andrews warned that the crisis will continue to worsen unless the root cause of the crisis is finally addressed. “A resolution of the Rohingya refugee crisis is not possible so long as the junta prevents the formation of a government committed to human rights and citizenship for the Rohingya. The international community must address the root causes of the crisis by depriving the junta of the weapons, money, and legitimacy it uses to perpetuate its oppression of the people of Myanmar. Until such time as the Rohingya are able to return to Myanmar voluntarily, with safety and dignity and rights ensured, Member States must fund adequate humanitarian assistance and consider durable solutions for Rohingya refugees, including resettlement,” he said.
Andrews visited Rohingya refugees in Aceh Indonesia earlier this year, including a refugee camp in Pidie, where he was told that desperate Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh were preparing to make the perilous journey.
“I encourage Indonesian authorities to continue to work with humanitarian agencies to meet the needs of Rohingya refugees, including by establishing new shelters for recent arrivals. Services should be provided for the most vulnerable, including women and children, who may be at risk of exploitation and human trafficking,” the expert said.
Andrews expressed grave concern that the arrivals signal the beginning of significant numbers of Rohingya fleeing desperate conditions in Bangladesh.
“Frankly, who can blame them? Parents have reached a breaking-point as their children suffer from hunger and malnutrition and face the threat of increasing violence in the camps,” he said. “These families are not boarding overcrowded vessels because they want to, they are doing so because they are desperate and see no choice.”
“No state should—as some have done in the past—refuse Rohingya refugees disembarkation or push boats back out to sea,” he said.
*The expert: Mr. Thomas Andrews, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar
The Special Rapporteurs, Independent Experts and Working Groups are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.
Country page: Myanmar
This article has been published in the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR) site through this link: UN Expert Calls for Emergency Response to Save Rohingya Lives at Sea (https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/11/un-expert-calls-emergency-response-save-rohingya-lives-sea)
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Press Release
13 November 2023
Indonesian Peacekeeper serving in the Central African Republic to receive 2023 United Nations Woman Police Officer of the Year Award
Police First Sergeant Rismayanti serves as a Crime Database Officer with the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). In this role, she has helped conceptualize and develop a criminal database that enables UN Police to map and analyse crime and disorder hotspots which, in turn, helps the country’s security forces to better plan their operations in support of the local population.
“Police First Sergeant Rismayanti’s innovation and efforts to leverage data within United Nations peacekeeping and the Central African Republic police has made a significant contribution to enhancing security for vulnerable communities, including women and girls,” said Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix. “She serves as a great example of how the participation and leadership of women in peacekeeping improve the effectiveness of our protection and peacebuilding work to better meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.”
Police First Sergeant Rismayanti says she feels fortunate to be able to use her technological skills to improve security for people across the Central African Republic. “I hope the visibility that comes from winning this award will reinforce among women and girls that all fields of expertise in policing are open to us.” At 27 years of age, she is the youngest-ever United Nations Woman Police Officer of the Year. She began her career with the Indonesian National Police as a public information officer in 2014 and has also worked in training, administration, and logistics. “Having accomplished so much by embracing technology in a traditionally male-dominated field, Police First Sergeant Rismayanti represents the future of United Nations policing,” said United Nations Police Adviser Faisal Shahkar.
“She and her colleagues are helping to build trust and confidence between local authorities and communities, which makes the work of the United Nations Police more effective and people safer.” The United Nations Woman Police Officer of the Year award was established in 2011 to recognize the exceptional contributions of women police officers to UN peace operations and to promote women’s empowerment. BIOGRAPHY Renita Rismayanti is an Indonesian Police Officer, now serving as individual police officer in MINUSCA (United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic) as a criminal database officer in Section Intelligence and Crime Analysis.
Before being deployed as an IPO in June 2022, she was posted in the Peacekeeping Training and Administration Office, where she excelled in various responsibilities including personnel selection, competency assessments, and logistics procurement for pre-deployment training for 5 years. She has also worked in the Public Information Officer and experienced in building people's awareness about crime prevention.
This 27-year-old woman dreams to drive positive change in the world. In her free time, she likes to travel to new places and look for any opportunity to turn ideas into reality. * The award will be presented during Police Week, the annual gathering of heads of United Nations police components from peacekeeping operations, special political missions and other offices, and includes interactive engagements with United Nations senior leadership and briefings to the United Nations Security Council and the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations of the General Assembly. About 10,000 United Nations Police are authorized to serve in 16 United Nations peace operations, where they work to enhance international peace and security by supporting host countries in conflict, post-conflict, and other crisis situations. Women’s participation in United Nations Police has doubled since 2015. As of today, the United Nations Police have exceeded all the 2023 targets set out in the Department’s Uniformed Gender Parity Strategy. And in two of four categories of personnel, the United Nations Police has already surpassed the 2028 target. As of September 2023, women police officers make up 43.1% of contracted professional officers in the United Nations Headquarters, 24.6% of contracted professional officers in the field, 31.8% of individual police officers and 15.6% of members of Formed Police Units. Women also occupy six out of 13 positions (i.e., 46.2%) as heads or deputy heads of police in Mali, Cyprus, Kosovo South Sudan Abyei.
The award ceremony will be held at United Nations Headquarters on 16 November
from 1 to 2 PM EST and broadcast live on UN Web TV: https://media.un.org/en/webtv Download digital assets on the United Nations Woman Police Officer of the Year Award here: https://trello.com/b/9UnA0xfJ/un-police-week-2023
Media contacts: Douglas Coffman
Peace & Security Section
UN Department of Global Communications
Email : coffmand@un.org
Cell : +1 917 361-9923
“Police First Sergeant Rismayanti’s innovation and efforts to leverage data within United Nations peacekeeping and the Central African Republic police has made a significant contribution to enhancing security for vulnerable communities, including women and girls,” said Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix. “She serves as a great example of how the participation and leadership of women in peacekeeping improve the effectiveness of our protection and peacebuilding work to better meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.”
Police First Sergeant Rismayanti says she feels fortunate to be able to use her technological skills to improve security for people across the Central African Republic. “I hope the visibility that comes from winning this award will reinforce among women and girls that all fields of expertise in policing are open to us.” At 27 years of age, she is the youngest-ever United Nations Woman Police Officer of the Year. She began her career with the Indonesian National Police as a public information officer in 2014 and has also worked in training, administration, and logistics. “Having accomplished so much by embracing technology in a traditionally male-dominated field, Police First Sergeant Rismayanti represents the future of United Nations policing,” said United Nations Police Adviser Faisal Shahkar.
“She and her colleagues are helping to build trust and confidence between local authorities and communities, which makes the work of the United Nations Police more effective and people safer.” The United Nations Woman Police Officer of the Year award was established in 2011 to recognize the exceptional contributions of women police officers to UN peace operations and to promote women’s empowerment. BIOGRAPHY Renita Rismayanti is an Indonesian Police Officer, now serving as individual police officer in MINUSCA (United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic) as a criminal database officer in Section Intelligence and Crime Analysis.
Before being deployed as an IPO in June 2022, she was posted in the Peacekeeping Training and Administration Office, where she excelled in various responsibilities including personnel selection, competency assessments, and logistics procurement for pre-deployment training for 5 years. She has also worked in the Public Information Officer and experienced in building people's awareness about crime prevention.
This 27-year-old woman dreams to drive positive change in the world. In her free time, she likes to travel to new places and look for any opportunity to turn ideas into reality. * The award will be presented during Police Week, the annual gathering of heads of United Nations police components from peacekeeping operations, special political missions and other offices, and includes interactive engagements with United Nations senior leadership and briefings to the United Nations Security Council and the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations of the General Assembly. About 10,000 United Nations Police are authorized to serve in 16 United Nations peace operations, where they work to enhance international peace and security by supporting host countries in conflict, post-conflict, and other crisis situations. Women’s participation in United Nations Police has doubled since 2015. As of today, the United Nations Police have exceeded all the 2023 targets set out in the Department’s Uniformed Gender Parity Strategy. And in two of four categories of personnel, the United Nations Police has already surpassed the 2028 target. As of September 2023, women police officers make up 43.1% of contracted professional officers in the United Nations Headquarters, 24.6% of contracted professional officers in the field, 31.8% of individual police officers and 15.6% of members of Formed Police Units. Women also occupy six out of 13 positions (i.e., 46.2%) as heads or deputy heads of police in Mali, Cyprus, Kosovo South Sudan Abyei.
The award ceremony will be held at United Nations Headquarters on 16 November
from 1 to 2 PM EST and broadcast live on UN Web TV: https://media.un.org/en/webtv Download digital assets on the United Nations Woman Police Officer of the Year Award here: https://trello.com/b/9UnA0xfJ/un-police-week-2023
Media contacts: Douglas Coffman
Peace & Security Section
UN Department of Global Communications
Email : coffmand@un.org
Cell : +1 917 361-9923
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Press Release
18 October 2023
Indonesia and the UN Release Annual Report on Sustainable Development Progress in 2022
JAKARTA – The United Nations in Indonesia and the Indonesian Government, spearheaded by the Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas) unveiled the UN in Indonesia’s 2022 Annual Results Report.
This document highlights the progress made in the second year of implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF 2021-2025). It underscores Indonesia's resilience in addressing developmental challenges in 2022, a year of profound challenges worldwide. Indonesia's recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic is commendable, as are its achievements towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
"We must ensure the UN's collaboration with Indonesia continually promotes responsive and resilient policies and initiatives in the face of global crises," said Suharso Monoarfa, Minister of National Development Planning and Head of Bappenas.
Mr Monoarfa spoke at the launch of the report, which was also attended by the UN Resident Coordinator in Indonesia, Valerie Julliand, in Jakarta on Wednesday, October 18. The comprehensive report enumerates the results of the UN and Indonesia towards achieving the SDGs, snd is organized around the four strategic areas of the UNSDCF.
In the first area, Inclusive Human Development, results include the delivery of 550 million vaccine doses, including 434 million Covid-19 vaccine doses and over 116 million regular vaccine doses across Indonesia, as reported by an electronic immunization logistics system. Remarkably, about 4.2 million toddlers received their third dose of the DPT-HB-Hib vaccine (covering 96.1%), and over 3.7 million children received the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (87.5%), and 4.1 million were administered the Oral Polio Vaccine (95.3%).
Beyond vaccinations, the availability of Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) medications, assisting at-risk communities in HIV prevention, has expanded from 12 to 21 cities and districts. Indonesia also effectively conducted early detection training and referral for child wasting for 5,350 health workers and 6,464 caregivers. The report also showcases endeavours in promoting gender equality, particularly through the ratification of the Sexual Violence Eradication Law, backed by the UN.
Secondly, under the pillar of Economic Transformation, fish farming training was provided to 5,000 individuals, while livestock evacuation was integrated into disaster management efforts, and 10,000 doses of the foot-and-mouth disease vaccine were supplied and administered. Addressing gender equity, 33 new companies have adopted the UN-created Women's Empowerment Principles. Moreover, over 200 garment sector factories received support to enhance work conditions and competitiveness, benefiting nearly 400,000 workers, approximately 80% of whom are women.
In the third area, Green Development, Climate Change, and Natural Disasters, 11 studies related to climate change, disaster resilience, and greenhouse gas emissions reduction were published. Indonesia has also charted a roadmap for greenhouse gas mitigation in the maritime sector, expanded protected zones to prevent deforestation, while over 217,000 small-scale gold miners were trained to avert mercury risks.
Lastly, under Innovation to Accelerate Progress Towards the SDGs, Indonesia, with UN support, developed a new roadmap for safely managed drinking water, amassed $1.7 billion in financing from domestic and global markets for the achievement of the SDGs, while 40 prisons benefitted from an improved Health Information System.
Ms Julliand highlighted that this report stands as tangible evidence of the UN's successful partnership with the Indonesian Government, producing concrete results for the population. "The 2022 Annual Report portrays the unwavering commitment of both the UN and the Indonesian Government in driving post-pandemic recovery efforts, attaining SDGs, elevating the populace's living standards, and assisting those left behind," she said, speaking at the annual Bappenas-UN forum – the premier platform for strategic dialogue between the Indonesian Government and UN agencies since 2014.
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Press Release
18 October 2023
Indonesian Government Showcases Four High Impact Initiatives at the SDG Summit
With the demonstration of four high impact initiatives that will help the country accelerate its progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Indonesia’s delegation is playing an active role at the SDG Summit, taking place on 16-
19 September at United Nations headquarters in New York.
The summit focuses on carrying out a comprehensive review of the state of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and identifying ways in which the goals can be reached by the 2030 target. Participants are expected to make binding commitments to move the SDGs back on track following a slow-down and in some cases even a reversal in global development due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Globally, the world is on track to meet only 12% of the 140 SDG indicators. Indonesia, whose own national development agenda is based on the SDGs, is doing better than most countries with 60% of indicators on track, according to the Ministry of National Development Planning.
There are 12 high impact initiatives highlighted at the summit aiming to accelerate the 2030 Agenda progress.
The Indonesian Government presented four High Impact Initiatives, developed
with the support of the UN in Indonesia. These are the following:
Food Systems: Transforming food systems for a sustainable world without hunger
September 17, 21.30 WIB (GMT +7)
Recording available at: https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1t/k1tuvsyu85
Power of Data: Unlocking the Data Dividend for the SDGs
September 17, 22.45 WIB (GMT +7)
Recording available at: https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1w/k1w68j5pae
Nature Driving Economic Transformation
September 17, 22.45 WIB (GMT +7)
Recording available at: https://media.un.org/en/asset/k18/k18jexfyux
Global Accelerator: The Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions September 18, 02.00 WIB (GMT +7) Recording available at: https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1t/k1t3ajupq6 Head of the Indonesian delegation, Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi, is scheduled to participate in the Leaders’ Dialogue on 19 September and deliver Indonesia’s commitment to the acceleration towards the SDGs.
Global Accelerator: The Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions September 18, 02.00 WIB (GMT +7) Recording available at: https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1t/k1t3ajupq6 Head of the Indonesian delegation, Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi, is scheduled to participate in the Leaders’ Dialogue on 19 September and deliver Indonesia’s commitment to the acceleration towards the SDGs.
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Press Release
25 August 2023
UN Insights Shared on Infrastructure Financing in ASEAN
Jakarta, Indonesia, August 25 - Senior United Nations representative spoke at a high-level ASEAN dialogue to explore innovative financing solutions for infrastructure development. The event, titled “High-Level Dialogue on Promoting Sustainable Infrastructure Development by Enhancing Collaborative Effort Between Government and Private Sector”, was held on August 24 by the Ministry of Finance of Indonesia in alignment with its ASEAN Chairmanship agenda. Senior government officials across ASEAN countries joined representatives from the financial industry, multilateral development banks (MDB) and international organizations to identify points of collaboration to advance sustainable infrastructure.
As a side event to the Second ASEAN Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting 2023, the dialogue aimed to leverage diverse funding sources in sustainable infrastructure investment, and exchange learnings on innovative infrastructure financing tools from ASEAN countries.
At the invitation of H.E. Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Minister of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia, Mr. Akira Moretto, Indonesia Country Manager of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), spoke as part of a panel on innovative financing models. He highlighted how infrastructure development improves the delivery of public services, followed by concrete examples of sustainable infrastructure projects implemented by UNOPS through national pension funds.
UNOPS believes that infrastructure forms the backbone of a functioning society and understands the value of smart infrastructure solutions in underpinning every Sustainable Development Goal. It is estimated that more than USD 90 trillion is required in global infrastructure investment by 2030 to support sustainable development. As the fifth largest UN agency by delivery, implementing over USD 2.5 billion in development assistance globally in 2022, UNOPS provides technical support and services in identifying Financing for Development solutions in the infrastructure sector since 2015. As an Implementation Agency, UNOPS has demonstrated expertise in delivering infrastructure results in evolving Public Private Partnership (PPP) and innovative financing markets, in close collaboration with both government and investor stakeholders.
To conclude his presentation, Mr. Moretto highlighted that “The Global South, including ASEAN, can achieve way more in self reliance with proper support, transparency and new funding sources complementary to MDB loans. Building on its successful track record, UNOPS looks forward to working closely with countries across the ASEAN region in infrastructure and beyond.”
The High-Level Dialogue also featured a ministerial panel on the key enablers and challenges in innovative infrastructure financing in ASEAN and an interactive session with the audience. Discussions painted a positive picture for the region’s future, through the strong public-private collaboration displayed towards people-centred resilient infrastructure.
About UNOPS UNOPS's mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development. We help the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, and deliver sustainable infrastructure and procurement in an efficient way. Read more: www.unops.org
About UNOPS UNOPS's mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development. We help the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, and deliver sustainable infrastructure and procurement in an efficient way. Read more: www.unops.org
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