Human Rights Ministry Says Human Rights Bill Strengthens Komnas HAM with Expert Scheme

Muhammad Hafiz, an expert with the Ministry of Human Rights, stated that the reinforcement would be achieved through institutional structuring and the strengthening of substantive functions supported by non-civil servant expert staff. Hafiz explained that a key substance in the Human Rights Bill is the provision for independent experts who can support the functions of assessment, monitoring, mediation, and dissemination, as well as other substantive tasks at Komnas HAM. He noted that Law Number 39 of 1999 did not contain provisions regarding expert staff, whereas the new draft strengthens their role at the statutory level. The expert staff scheme, he said, aims to clearly separate the administrative functions carried out by the secretariat general from the substantive functions of Komnas HAM as an independent institution. The secretariat general is not part of Komnas HAM in the substantive sense, but rather a part of the government providing administrative services. Hafiz clarified that this scheme differs from the civil servant recruitment mechanism, likening the model to the assistants used by the Ombudsman or experts at the Witness and Victim Protection Agency. Through this scheme, Komnas HAM can open wider opportunities for activists, academics, human rights defenders, and professionals to engage in the institution’s substantive functions. Hafiz also asserted that the bill does not eliminate the research and outreach functions, confirming that both remain within Komnas HAM’s authority, albeit placed under the assessment function. He added that the drafting of the bill has involved dialogue with various stakeholders, including Komnas HAM, with the expectation that all objections and proposals can be submitted to strengthen the legislation. Hafiz concluded that the institutional restructuring is intended to strengthen the independence of Komnas HAM in accordance with international principles, encompassing organisational structure, decision-making, working methods, and supporting human resources.