REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi on Monday reaffirmed the Indonesian government's commitment to further promoting and protecting human rights through its diplomacy for peace and humanity. She assessed no country has yet a perfect system for the promotion and protection of human rights.

"It is a work in progress. Strengthening cooperation in a non-politicized manner among national and interregional bodies is therefore the key," Minister Marsudi stated in her opening remark at the Jakarta International Conversation of Human Rights held in Jakarta on Monday.

The Jakarta International Conversation on Human Rights was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 25th anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action.

The half-day public event was held to evaluate the current status of promotion and protection of human rights as well as to explore and share best practices and lessons learnt in overcoming challenges and advancing cooperation in the field of human rights.

Minister Marsudi highlighted three points that should be taken into account, with the first being to nurture the protection and promotion of human rights systematically and progressively at the national level and to mainstream the human rights agenda at the central and local government levels.

The second point makes it imperative to strengthen the human rights body or mechanism and to ensure greater synergy between the national and regional environment. "On a wider scale and with an understanding of the close relationship between democracy and human rights, it is important to create a condition that is conducive for the protection and promotion of human rights," Marsudi emphasized.

Minister Marsudi also noted that Indonesia, with the world's largest Muslim population, continues to ensure the credibility and effectiveness of the Independence Permanent Human Rights Commission of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to accentuate the compatibility of Islam with human rights and democracy.

Lastly, Marsudi believes that interregional cooperation for upholding human rights must also be encouraged, as a mutual learning process for all.

A mutual learning process and understanding are the keys to advancing and promoting human rights. To this end, promoting and intensifying human rights dialog between developed and developing countries as well as the South-South and Triangular Cooperation are important by taking a cue from developing countries and also understanding the specific circumstances, she stated.

"It must be underlined again that promotion and protection of human rights is neither a finger-pointing nor blame game," Marsudi remarked, adding that it should be a joint effort by all and for all.

The Jakarta International Conversation on Human Rights invited the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein, former foreign affairs minister Hassan Wirajuda, and Indonesian Commissioner for the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Siti Ruhaini Dzuhayatin as the keynote speakers.

The humanitarian crisis in Myanmar's Rakhine State and gender mainstreaming were among the several topics highlighted by the keynote speakers during the first panel of the event.

The UN High Commissioner conveyed the messages recounted by the Rohingya refugees, who constitute well over half of the Rohingya living in northern Rakhine, that the atrocities they experienced include brutal killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, atrocious sexual violence, and destruction of homes and livelihoods.

"Although any definitive finding should be made by an appropriate tribunal, my office considers that acts of genocide and ethnic cleansing may have occurred," Hussein remarked.

The Rohingya crisis should be addressed properly, for it has the potential to have a major impact on the security of the region, Hussein reiterated. "It is important for us to cooperate and address humanitarian issues objectively before they lead to cases of human rights abuse and violation," Minister Marsudi added.

Prince Hussein was scheduled to visit Indonesia until Feb 7 before continuing his trip to Papua New Guinea and Fiji.

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