Free Nutritious Meals Programme Is a Human Rights Obligation, Minister Says

Various international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (DUHAM), UN covenants and conventions, consistently affirm three primary state obligations in their preambles: the obligation to respect, protect, and fulfil human rights needs. The Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme represents the government’s obligation to fulfil the right to food. Therefore, no party should abolish, reduce, or obstruct this fundamental right. In line with this principle, state policies aimed at fulfilling human rights require supervision and evaluation to ensure quality control, rather than being labelled as human rights violations during the development process. If legal violations are found, they fall under the criminal domain, not human rights violations, precisely because the programme is under development. In the context of human rights, the Free Nutritious Meals programme is an ongoing process of achieving human rights standards. It is a development process towards realising human rights standards. Therefore, it must not be called a human rights violation. Something that is in progress cannot be judged as a violation, but it does require evaluative assessment. Realising human rights is a continuous global effort focused on ensuring dignity, equality, freedom, and the fulfilment of basic needs for all individuals without discrimination. This is based on international frameworks designed to protect vulnerable populations and uphold accountability worldwide. The pathways being pursued to achieve human rights include strengthening international treaty frameworks, protecting citizens from violations, and meeting basic needs such as healthcare, housing, food, and education—including the Free Nutritious Meals programme. Institutions like the United Nations Human Rights Council set standards, monitor crises, and provide technical assistance to enhance human rights-based development systems. Food, health, and education programmes are globally recognised and continue to shape modern legislation to integrate with the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda (SDGs). The human rights framework is fundamentally linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Achieving these goals requires a ‘Human Rights Economy’ approach that actively prioritises social equality and poverty eradication. The MBG policy deliberately focuses first on those who are furthest behind, striving for empowerment and inclusion for youth and marginalised groups. Head of the National Development Planning Agency, Prof. Dr. Rachmat Pambudy, stated that food is a human right according to the legal instruments governing it. His view is grounded in various constitutional foundations and national legal regulations that guide food development to meet national food needs. Law Number 18 of 2012 on Food affirms that food fulfilment is a human right for every citizen. The state guarantees the right to food and nutrition through the pillars of availability, affordability, and suitability, to achieve national food sovereignty and security. The primary legal foundations linking food to human rights include Law Number 18 of 2012 on Food as the main legal instrument for food management, and Law Number 39 of 1999 on Human Rights as a national instrument guaranteeing the right to life and welfare, including the fulfilment of basic needs. The right to food is also in line with the mandate of Article 28H, which guarantees every person the right to live in physical and spiritual prosperity and to have a good and healthy environment. The state is obliged to prevent food insecurity, maintain price stability, and ensure food safety from contaminants harmful to public health.