Indonesia

Rather supportive in the April 2015 consultation on the SSD in Geneva, but support didn’t materialize.

Outreach in NY in May 2015 (Diya): their advice was for Norway’s embassy to engage with MoFA in Jakarta. Messages passed to Norway but not sure the Jakarta embassy has been briefed (diplomatic sensitivities over death penalty seemed to pose challenge for Norway to enagge on other issues, in the summer of 2015). We’ve also flagged Indonesia several times to the NL Gva mission, encouraging them to raise the issue bilaterally. NY mission has received letters about the SSD in the past but no meeting. “Welcomed” the Oslo Conference at CAAC Open Debate June 2015. Outreach letter sent in advance of CAAC Open Debate.

August 2016: CAAC Open Debate: Condemned attacks on schools.

February 2017: Gisela met with GVA mission. The expert was very open and supportive. She recalled that her predecessor had engaged with the consultations in Geneva and had sent a recommendation on their “position” to capital but that they did not receive a decision quickly enough to be able to attend Oslo and endorse. Sounded positive. She said they agreed with the content of the Declaration and Guidelines but that the issue is not a high priority for them as separatist groups have not, so far, as far as she was aware, used or attacked schools. I emphasized the value of joining a community of states committed to good practice, and the preventive value of implementing the Declaration in advance of any issue arising. She noted the low level of endorsements in Asia but was interested that Malaysia had endorsed, in light of their engagement with the children and armed conflict agenda in the Security Council. She will share details of the meeting with capital and copy in her New York colleagues. Indonesia is running for election to the Security Council in 2019. I mentioned that some states are enhancing their profile on the CAAC agenda as part of their own bids for UNSC election. We also discussed the role of peacekeepers in protecting education in conflict, and the fact that all troop-contributing countries for such missions make a commitment not to use schools in their operations. She suggested that participation from Jakarta or New York might be possible.

March 2017: Attended Buenos Aires Conference on Safe Schools.

April 2017: Norway advised that they had raised the Declaration in a bilateral in Jakarta.

February 2018:In advance of the End Violence Solutions Summit in Stockholm on 14-15 February, GCPEA issued letter to Indonesia, highlighting the Declaration and calling for endorsement.

February 2018: GCPEA met with the Mission of Indonesia in Geneva who responded very positively to the initiative and were interested in the suggestion that Indonesia could play a leadership role in the Asia region.

May 2018: Following participation in a meeting of the Groups of Friends on Children and the SDGs, Indonesia followed up with UNICEF to request more information.

May 2018:Human Rights Watch advocated for the Norwegian Embassy in Jakarta to raise the Declaration with the Indonesian government.

April 2019: GCPEA (Zama) met with the Third Secretary in the Permanent Mission of Indonesia in New York. During the meeting, the potential endorsement of the Declaration was discussed. The Third Secretary advised that the Permanent Mission in Geneva is leading on the Declaration. He also advised that endorsement is likely to happen before the general elections in April. He recommended reaching out to the Permanent Mission in Geneva and also to capital.

May 2019: Participated in the Third International Conference in Palma.

June 2019: GCPEA (Zama) met with the Deputy Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission in New York, who responded very positively to the initiative.

September 2019: Save the Children New York and GCPEA encouraged Indonesia to announce endorsement of the Safe Schools Declaration at the high-level side event on stop the war on children.

May 2020: Save sent a letter on behalf of GCPEA and requested a meeting ahead of PoC debate. No answer.

June 2020: Save followed-up with another advocacy letter on behalf of GCPEA and pushed for a meeting. He got back and said he received our letter, sent it to capital and had a VTC over it with capital, but their position seems to remain the same. So he’s reluctant to meet with us as there is nothing new to say on their position on this. But we can still say we want to meet with him if its helpful to push back.

August 2020: Indonesian Mission in New York hosted a private briefing to discuss the findings of Save’s report the Danger is Our Reality report about the impact of conflict and the occupation on education in the West Bank.

October 2021: Indonesia co-sponsored UNSC resolution 2601 (2021), the first thematic resolution on the protection of education in armed conflict and to mention the SSD (preamble).

December 2021: On 07/12, Apolline and Nevena met with Mr. Raka Pamungkas, Second Secretary from the Permanent Mission of Indonesia in New-York. GCPEA provided the traditional background on the SSD, the Guidelines, a recap on the Abuja Conference and its outcomes, as well as a concise overview on the progress achieved through UNSC resolution 2601 (2021). The representative had several questions, including: what are our goals moving forward? How do we conduct our research, particularly regarding data collection? Why haven’t Korea, Australia and Japan endorsed? And what does “bringing the Guidelines into national legislation” entail exactly? That last question was the biggest challenge for his capital. GCPEA answered all of his questions- our main focus now, with 112 endorsing states, will be on implementation, particularly through the state-led implementation network activities and the Spanish global training; data collection process was explained; recap on Australia, Japan and Korea including recent progress seen in all three countries; and stressing that the Guidelines are non-binding while providing concrete examples of good practice to demonstrate what implementation looks like in different contexts. The representative was very supportive personally of the SSD agenda. He said that he had a meeting with his capital earlier this year which included the SSD, and the biggest issue was related to the Guidelines. He is leaving the mission at the end of January and wants to give this agenda a last push before he goes. He asked us to send him an official letter signed by GCPEA Executive Director providing a written explanation on the Guidelines (link to IHL, non-binding, examples of good practice) as well as an overview of Australia, Japan and Korea’s positions. He also said that he would put us in contact with his Geneva colleague to ensure a continuity at the HRC level. Lastly, we offered to provide a inter-ministerial meeting at capital level with a military expert, which we will include in the official letter. Overall, the meeting was positive. The representative seemed determined to want to give this a last push before he goes.

July 2022: A similar joint letter on behalf of the champions was sent to the Geneva Ambassador, encouraging endorsement.

September 2022: On 6 September, Apolline and Nevena met with Mr. Raditya Kusumaningprang (Humanitarian and migration but also helps human rights and health portfolios) from the PM in Geneva. He had read the cable sent by the New York Mission from our call in December 2021, so he was up to speed on the issue. The representative explained that Indonesia is inherently committed to the protection of education and supports the SSD in principle. He argued that current impediment was the internal coordination between the missions and capital, but also to get all of the ministries on board. In essence, they do not want to endorse the declaration if they cannot commit to implementing it. He promised to write to his capital with all of the arguments for endorsement but did not foresee immediate endorsement.

November 2022: Endorsed the Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from the Humanitarian Consequences Arising from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (EWIPA) on 18 November during an International Conference hosted by Ireland, the leader and penholder behind the Declaration.

November 2022: Update on the champion states’ joint demarche with the 14 countries that co-sponsored UNSC resolution 2601 but have not yet endorsed the SSD: Joint démarche by the champions was done in capitals in Australia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Indonesia, Lithuania, and Lesotho, as well as through the Missions in New York with Comoros, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, and Tuvalu. On Indonesia specifically, Norway met with Director for human rights and humanitarian affairs, Achsanul Habib. Indonesia well acquainted with the SSD and the work undertaken by the “champions”. They are positively inclined to the intention behind the SSD.MFA is currently coordinating the consideration of the SSD among various Ministries.