Human Rights Bill Deemed to Strengthen Komnas HAM Independence

The Draft Law on Human Rights (RUU HAM) is assessed to not weaken the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM). On the contrary, the latest draft of the Human Rights Bill is aimed at strengthening the independence of Komnas HAM through institutional restructuring and a more distinct separation between administrative and substantive functions.

Muhammad Hafiz, an expert from the Ministry of Human Rights, stated that a significant strengthening in the draft bill is the creation of space for independent experts to support the execution of Komnas HAM’s substantive functions, including research, monitoring, mediation, and dissemination of human rights information.

“Law Number 39 of 1999 contains no provisions regarding experts. In the new draft, the role of experts is strengthened at the legislative level,” Hafiz said in a statement in Jakarta on Wednesday (3/6/26).

According to Hafiz, the general secretariat essentially performs administrative service functions. Therefore, the substantive functions of Komnas HAM should ideally be carried out by independent elements possessing technical capacity in the field of human rights.

“The general secretariat is not part of Komnas HAM in terms of substantive function. The general secretariat is part of the government that provides administrative services,” Hafiz added.

He explained that the expert scheme in the draft Human Rights Bill differs from the recruitment of Civil Servants (CPNS). This model more closely resembles the pattern of experts or assistants found in other independent state institutions, such as the Ombudsman and the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK).

“It is different. It is similar to assistants in the Ombudsman or experts in the LPSK,” said the Executive Director of the Human Rights Working Group (HRWG).