Ministry of Human Rights says human rights compliance drives inclusive public services

The Ministry of Human Rights (KemenHAM) states that assessing government institutions’ compliance with human rights can drive more inclusive public services and strengthen the protection of citizens’ rights, particularly for vulnerable groups. Director General of Human Rights Services and Compliance at KemenHAM, Munafrizal Manan, said the policy implementation aims to ensure public services are not merely administrative but rooted in respect for human rights. ‘The expected outcome of this policy implementation is not just figures in annual reports, but tangible improvements in public service quality that can be directly felt by the public, especially vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities, women, and children,’ Munafrizal said in a statement received in Jakarta on Wednesday. He added that the human rights compliance assessment mechanism is expected to encourage government institutions to provide inclusive public facilities, ensure laws are based on human rights principles, and prevent discrimination in public services. The policy is also part of implementing the National Long-Term Development Plan (RPJPN) for Golden Indonesia 2045, which places the respect, protection, fulfilment, enforcement, and promotion of human rights as a national development pillar. KemenHAM has recorded 407 government institutions launching human rights compliance assessments, comprising 17 ministries/agencies, 27 provincial governments, and 363 district/city administrations. In addition to internal government involvement, the mechanism allows public participation through a redress channel to gather public feedback on government institutions’ performance. KemenHAM considers the policy crucial due to ongoing challenges in human rights implementation at both national and regional levels, including high numbers of public complaints about alleged state official human rights violations and regional policies that do not fully align with non-discrimination principles. Through this assessment tool, he said, the government also aims to enhance civil servants’ understanding of human rights standards and strengthen oversight to detect potential violations earlier. ‘The Ministry of Human Rights is committed to continuously supporting each institution through technical guidance and ongoing coordination to ensure the spirit of Golden Indonesia 2045 is achieved on a solid human rights foundation,’ Munafrizal said.