| Statement by
Let me begin by congratulating you on your election as the chairperson of the thirty-ninth session of the Commission on Population and Development and extend similar sentiments to the other members of the Bureau on their election. My delegation aligns itself to the statement made by the delegation of South Africa on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. We wish also to thank the Population
Division of the UN-DESA for preparing the necessary documents including
the Compendium of Recommendations on International Migration and Development.
Of significant importance too was the statement made by Under-Secretary-General
Ocampo who underlined the need to ensure universal access to reproductive
health for all, in order to achieve gender equality and advance the
status of women. The issue of international migration is a complex phenomena that requires the full involvement of all governments at the national, bilateral, regional and international levels. For Indonesia, recent developments have forced us to review the way in which we handle this global issue. Being one of the major sending countries, our migrant workers are now located in 19 destination countries in Asia- Pacific, the Middle East, North America and Europe. The number of Indonesian migrant workers amount to around one million people. These workers generate remittances valuing up to US$ 5.49 billion or representing 0.75% of GOP. These workers contributes to the Indonesia’s economic well-being. Despite appreciating the contributive
value of Indonesia migrant workers to the national economy, the government
has come to realize that more efforts are needed to address the issue
of protection of the rights of these migrant workers, It has come
to our attention that in dealing with this complex issue of migration,
challenges are present at every stage of the migration process. Due to eagerness and receiving a sense of false hope, Indonesia migrant workers often venture upon overseas employment offers without sufficient information about the entire migration process. Consequently, many of the travel as undocumented migrants, thus becoming vulnerable to unfair working conditions in the host countries or threats of deportation while there. Many female workers are forced to endure physical, psychological or sexual abuse as well as other forms of ill treatment from their employers or in the wider society. In response to this situation, the Indonesian Government has enacted Law No. 39/2004 on Placement and Protection of Indonesian Overseas Workers which aims to bring about (1) better management of migration flows, including improvement in the quality of workers and reductions in the number of illegal and undocumented workers (2) establishment of institutional mechanisms for the placement and protection of Indonesian migrant workers; and (3) advocacy on their behalf. With this new Law, protection is enhanced
through the application of administrative and penal sanctions for
any breach of its provisions. Work is also being conducted to achieve
in-country support systems in receiving countries; a more transparent
mechanism for support services; data collection; and cooperation with
other government agencies. To ensure adequate coordination between
the different ministries and government agencies in the implementation
of the new migrant labor policy, Law No. 39/2004 calls for the setting
up of a National Body working under the direct supervision of the
President to oversee the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Overseas
Workers. This Body will function as the focal point in formulating
policies, coordinating their implementation, providing services, supervising
the migration process and providing protection and advocacy on behalf
of migrant workers experiencing difficulties, as well as promoting
remittance facilitation. Additionally, in an effort to reduce the
number of undocumented migrant workers, a Presidential Decree on Population
Mobility to ensure better management of migration in and out of Indonesia
is also being prepared. The value of remittances to Indonesia has steadily increased overtime. This amount is quite significant and contributes to the Indonesian economy. However, we have always been of the view that remittance should in no way replace ODA as a source of funding for development. More importantly the crux of the matter
in dealing with these global phenomena will be strengthening cooperation
and collaboration amongst governments at the bilateral and regional
level. It is against the background that Indonesia has convened several
initiatives. Critical to the issue of international migration was
the establishment of regional consultative process namely the Bali
Process on people smuggling, trafficking in persons and related transnational
crimes in 2002, involving some 58 countries in the Asia Pacific Region
and 16 international organizations including the IOM, UHNCR, and UNODC. The issue of international migration
requires the strong participation of all relevant agents. For its
part, Indonesia invites governments, international organizations and
institutions to cooperate in the formulation and implementation of
its migration policies especially through technical assistance capacity
building and information sharing. And as part of a comprehensive solution
to increasing flows of migrant workers around the world, Indonesia
strongly supports the need for global development partnerships which
would make migration a choice, rather than a necessity.
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