Gustavo Capdevila, Geneva – Indonesia's government showed concrete evidence of its policy for gradual liberalisation on the human rights front, signing a co-operation agreement with the United Nations (UN) human rights entity.
The technical co-operation agreement signed between the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and Jakarta guaranteed access of international officials to the disputed territory of East Timor for the next two years.
Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, applauded the agreement and declared she was confident the convention would allow the most pressing human rights concerns in Indonesia to be tackled.
The agreement signed Thursday between the High Commissioner's office and Jakarta stated the personnel for the project "will have access to all parts of Indonesia with the aim of evaluating the primordial necessities." "It is understood (the agreement) includes facilitating access to East Timor," specified the document.
While the Portuguese-Indonesian negotiations are underway, the agreement signed in Geneva Thursday will allow UN officials to evaluate the human rights situation in the disputed area. The convention, signed by Robinson and Indonesian ambassador in Geneva, Agus Tarmidzi, established co-operation formulae for the promotion and protection of human rights.
For two years, the High Commissioner's Office will co-operate with the Indonesian government and will help in the execution of technical co-operation programmes. Technical co-operation will cover the areas of the Indonesian national plan of action for the promotion and protection of human rights and the strengthening of national capacity in this field.
The UN will similarly offer collaboration in human rights education, to the National Indonesian Human Rights Commission and in strategies for bringing about the right to development and economic, social and cultural rights.
[On August 14 Lusa news agency quoted Jose Ramos Horta as describing the agreement as "derisory" and of "no interest at all" to East Timor. Horta said he was against the accord because it only provided for "technical co-operation" and not for a special UN mission investigating human rights abuses. He added that access of UN observers was "just a verbal commitment" - James Balowski.]