New law links population to global issues<\/p>\n
Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The House of Representatives (DPR) Commission VII on health and
\npopulation plans to revise Law No. 10\/1992 on population growth
\nand family welfare to catch up with global issues that have
\nemerged in the past several years.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the commission Posma Tobing told The Jakarta Post
\nthat there were several reasons for amending the law.<\/p>\n
The existing law does not yet cover new global issues such as
\ngender, male participation in births, reproductive rights and
\ninfertility, he said earlier this week.<\/p>\n
"Our country is committed to several recommendations on global
\nissues formulated at international forums on population, such as
\nthe 1994 International Conference on Population and Development
\nin Cairo, and the Millennium Development Summit 2000 in New
\nYork," said Posma.<\/p>\n
New articles will be added to the amended law, such as on how
\nto manage births, how to decrease the mortality rate and family
\nempowerment. Gender and population, as well as a chapter on
\nsanctions, will also be regulated separately.<\/p>\n
Managing births is an important issue as it relates to family
\nwelfare and qualified human resources. According to the
\nIndonesian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and
\nDevelopment (IFPPD), the government is targeting a zero
\npopulation growth by 2050.<\/p>\n
To make it work, said Posma, male participation in managing
\nbirths should also be addressed in the new law.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, to improve people's welfare, the government should
\nalso work on lowering the mortality rate, including maternal and
\nneonatal mortality rates, he said.<\/p>\n
The chapter on family empowerment will focus on low-income
\nfamilies so as to enable them to increase family incomes.<\/p>\n
The draft amendment will be formulated by several experts on
\npopulation issues, such as Siswanto Agus Wilopo, deputy of the
\nFamily Planning and Reproductive Health of the National Family
\nPlanning Board (BKKBN), and Srihariati Hatmadji, chairperson of
\nthe Demographic Foundation.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Medical Legal Committee of the Indonesian
\nDoctors Association (IDI) Herkutanto and vice president of the
\nCenter of Population Study and Policy Sukamdi are also to be
\ninvolved in drafting the new law, which is expected to be
\ncompleted by September.<\/p>\n
While awaiting the revision, Commission VII hopes that top
\ngovernment figures across the country will become fully aware of
\nthe importance of the issue.<\/p>\n
"We can no longer enforce the law in the provinces, except
\nafter the law has been revised," said Posma, "but since
\npopulation is a national issue, regional participation is
\nneeded."<\/p>\n
Executive secretary of IFPPD Ermalena said the population
\nissue should be at the center of a country's development.<\/p>\n
"Population issues relate to many other areas, such as the
\neconomy, health and education, as well as the environment," she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is now ranked 110 on a list of 158 countries on the
\nquality of life, which is determined by three factors: education,
\nhealth and family finances.<\/p>",
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