On Saturday, 30 October 2004, the Permanent Mission of Indonesia to the United Nations, in collaboration with the Center for Non-proliferation Studies, Monterey Institute of International Studies, was organizing a workshop on the NPT entitled “The 2005 NPT Review Conference:Understanding Challenges and Devising Responses”. The Workshop was attended by representatives from the CD Ambassadors in Geneva, Permanent Representatives to the United Nations, academic institution and non-governmental organizations. The Workshop was also attended by Ambassador Sergio de Quiero Duarte, President-designate of the 2005 NPT Review Conference and Ambassador Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat, Chairman of the 2004 NPT Prepcom. The Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the United Nations, Ambassador Rezlan Ishar Jenie has delivered his opening remarks at the Workshop.

The Workshop discussed a number of issues related to the provisions of the NPT and obligations to be fulfilled by State Parties which were clearly defined in the long-term interests of the Treaty’s viability and longevity. Participants of the Workshop also noted the many significant changes and extra-ordinary developments that have taken place since the last NPT Review Conference in 2000.

Opening Remarks by Ambassador Rezian Ishar Jenie

1. In the briefing before the staff of the Indonesian Mission to the United Nations and the Indonesian Consulate in New York on Friday, 6 August 2004, Ms. Sjamsiah Achmad, member of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), presented a historical background of Indonesian women movements and the ongoing efforts to promote gender equality and equity in Indonesia. The movement started even before the establishment of the United Nations when the Indonesian Women Congress was established in 1928. The Indonesian 1945 Constitution recognizes the equality between men and women before the law.

2. Indonesia has been actively taking part in global deliberations on the promotion of gender equality and equity such as the Second World Conference on Women in Copenhagen in 1980; the Third World Conference in Nairobi in 1985; the Fourth World Conference in Beijing 1990 and other women-related conferences such as the 1994 Cairo International Conference on Development and Population; 1995 World Summit for Social Development, 2000 Dakar World Education Forum. Indonesia is also among the first who ratified the Convention on the Political Rights of Women in 1956 and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women in 1984.

3. The Convention consists of various aspects of women’s rights such as legal protection; attitude/stereotyping; affirmative actions; political participation; marriage; education; employment; health care and reproductive health; social life; and equality before the law. Similar aspects have also become 12 critical issues in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action which will be reviewed in 2005.

4. The newly-amended 1945 Constitution recognizes the principle of affirmative action/temporary special measures and the rights of women in order to accelerate the realization of gender equality and equity. As a party to the Convention, Indonesia obliges to implement all provisions of the Convention and to harmonize its legal system in accordance with the Convention. In this regard, Indonesia has produced various gender-related legislations. However, further attempts still have to be taken and most importantly, those legislations should be transformed into practice.

5. The participants raised various issues in the session such as migrant workers; social stereotyping; the necessity of Dharma Wanita; basic concepts of gender; discrimination in policies; socio-cultural environment; and further efforts to address various gender-related problems in Indonesia.

On Monday, April 19, 2004 the Permanent Mission of Indonesia invited Secretaries and other personnel from the United Nations and related agencies to attend a luncheon to meet the newly appointed Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the United Nations, Amb. Rezlan Jenie. Fifty-five administrative and personal assistants as well as secretaries of high-ranking UN international staff attended the luncheon. In an informal atmosphere, the UN staffers were also able to meet their Indonesian counterparts. From all accounts, this was the first such encounter they had ever attended.

In his brief remarks, Amb Jenie welcomed the secretaries and thanked them for taking the time out to meet with him and to introduce themselves to the diplomatic and technical staff at the Permanent Mission. In particular, he was grateful for their cooperation with the Mission.

Among the offices, departments and agencies represented at the luncheon were:

Office of the Secretary-General, Executive Office of the Secretary-General (EOSG),Department of Management (DM),Department of Political Affairs (DPA),Department of Public Information (DPI), Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), Department for Disarmament Affairs (DDA), Department for General Assembly and Conference Management, Office of Legal Affairs (OLA),Office of the Iraq Programme (OIP), Office of Internal Oversight Services, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Office of the Special Adviser on Africa, Office on Drugs and Crime, World Food Programme (WFP), UN Habitat, UNAIDS, UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD),UN Population Fund (UNFPA), UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), andUN Environment Programme.

• UN Model at the Permanent Mission of Indonesia to the UN. 18 March 2004

The Permanent Mission of Indonesia on 18 March 2004 gave a briefing session on Indonesian policy/position on various issues in the UN to 15 students of the Barrington High School from Rhode Island. The students attended the Conference of High School Model United Nations held in 17-20 March 2004 at the UN Headquarter, an annual event, in which selected high schools all over the world play the role of various delegations and participate in a UN conference simulation. The Barrington High School represented the Indonesian delegation.

• Brainstorming on NPT Issues and Informal Consultation by Ambassador. Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat as Chairman- Designate of the Third NPT Prepcom. 11 March, 2004

In preparation for the forthcoming Third NPT Prepcom to be held in New York on 26 April-7 May 2004, Indonesia as Coordinator of the NAM Working Group on Disarmament organized brainstorming session in New York on 11 March 2004 to discuss the challenges and development of the NPT issues. For the session, the Permanent Mission of Indonesia to the UN had invited a number of resources persons, namely: Mr. Jean duPreez (Director, Center for Non-proliferation Studies, Monterey Institute for International Studies), Ms. Sylvana da Silva (Chief of WMD Branch, UN Department for Disarmament Affairs), Mr. Alaa Isa (Counsellor of the Permanent Mission of Egypt to the United Nations) and Ms. Rhianna Tyson (Reaching Critical Will/Women's’s International League for Peace and Freedom). The session was well attended by member and observer countries of the NAM that are State Parties to the NPT.

Following the brainstorming session, Ambassador Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat as Chairman-designate for the Third NPT Prepcom had conducted an informal consultation with member and observer countries of the NAM that are State Parties to the NPT. At the informal consultation, which was also attended by Ambassador Rastam Mohd. Isa, Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the UN, the Chairman-designate had an exchange of views on his intention and plan to conduct the forthcoming NPT Prepcom.

• Briefing dengan Dr. Mari Pangestu. 28 January 2004

Dr. Mari Pangestu ekonom ternama Indonesia telah memberikan briefing kepada pejabat-pejabat PTRI New York tertanggal 28 Januari 2004 mengenai kondisi politik ekonomi di Indonesia dan masalah ekonomi pembangunan di tingkat international termasuk issue kemiskinan dan millennium development goals. Dr. Mari Pangestu saat ini adalah anggota Tasks Force United Nations Millennium Project yang dibentuk oleh Sekjen PBB dan diketuai oleh Prof. Jeffrey Sachs.

• Employees of the Year 2003. 5 January 2004

The Mission selects best clerical staff and non clerical staff among the local staffs at the end of each for the purpose of improving performance and accountability. For the end of the year of 2003 The Permanent Mission confers the best local staff award in 2 categories, name ly the best clerical staff and best non clerical staff. This year Ms. Fitri Nurbaini was selected as the best clerical staff and Mr. Uja Djapari as the best non clerical staff.