Opening statement at Norway-Indonesia human rights dialogue

Ladies and gentlemen, 

Let me begin by welcoming you, on behalf of the Norwegian Government, to Oslo and this sixth meeting of our bilateral human rights dialogue. 

Remarkable progress has been made since we started this dialogue six years ago, and I think it is safe to say that our bilateral relations have never been better. Prime Minister Stoltenberg and Minister of Foreign Affairs Støre regularly exchange views and information on foreign policy issues with President Yudhoyono and Foreign Minister Wirayuda. In addition, a number of official visits have taken place in recent years, the most important being the visit of President Yudhoyono to Oslo last September and Prime Minister Stoltenberg’s visit to Indonesia last month.  

State secretary Raymond Johansen.

Norway and Indonesia’s human rights dialogue is part of a wider bilateral cooperation. Our nations work together in several international processes and forums, and on jointly organising various large events. I would like to take this opportunity to express how pleased we are with the regional consultation on UN reform that we co-hosted in Jakarta last month. We believe that the consultation was a very useful event that brought the reform process forward.  

We believe that this meeting will serve to enhance our awareness of important human rights issues.  

I am particularly pleased that our meeting is taking place here at the Soria Moria Hotel, as it was here that our present Government agreed its political platform in October 2005. The resulting document is known as the Soria Moria Declaration, and one of the priorities it sets out is to follow up and continue efforts to conduct human rights dialogues.  

The Soria Moria Declaration is a guide for me and for the Norwegian delegation here. Although Norway and Indonesia may have different views on some of the objectives expressed in the declaration, I am sure that we all agree that frank exchanges of opinion are a valuable part of our dialogue. We may face different situations and challenges, but we share a wish to promote human rights.  

Yesterday, the Indonesian participants and some of the Norwegian participants made field visits to various institutions that are relevant to the discussions we will have today and tomorrow. I hope that these visits were interesting and inspiring, and that they will provide useful reference points for our discussions.  

It has been agreed that our parallel sessions over the next two days will be split into five working groups, each of which will focus on one of the following topics:

1. Policing and human rights
2. Freedom of religion and belief, including Sharia
3. The armed forces and human rights
4. Upholding economic, social and cultural rights – focussing on corporate social responsibility, foreign investment and the environment.
5. Multilateral human rights issues. 

These issues are also high on the agenda in other forums, such as the United Nations. Multilateral cooperation within the UN framework is very important to Norway, just as it is to Indonesia. The establishment of the Human Rights Council in Geneva is a key element in ongoing efforts to strengthen the UN’s ability to promote and protect human rights. Norway is actively involved in the ongoing discussions in Geneva, and attaches great importance to cross-regional cooperation. Norwegian and Indonesian diplomats are already working together closely in Geneva, and Norway greatly values this cooperation.  

Indonesia is currently a member of the Human Rights Council. Norway has recently received information on Indonesia’s candidature for re-election for the period 2007–2010. Let me assure you that Norway will give Indonesia’s candidacy favourable consideration. 

One issue that was debated during the fourth session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva was freedom of religion and belief. The Norwegian Government condemns any action or statement that expresses contempt for a person on the basis of his or her religion or belief or ethnic background. Norway has always supported UN efforts to combat religious intolerance, and we consider these efforts to be essential for preventing distrust and conflicts. Tolerance, mutual respect and dialogue are fundamental values both in Norwegian society and in Norway’s foreign policy.  

Indonesia has the world’s largest Muslim population. Yet the Indonesian population belong to a multitude of different religions and cultures. This diversity is perhaps Indonesia’s most striking characteristic. Many parts of the world have a lot to learn from Indonesia’s example, not least from the fact that most of its citizens have a very tolerant attitude towards religions other than their own.  

However, some challenges remain, both in Norway and in Indonesia. These will be considered further in our discussions later. It is always helpful to remember that entering into dialogue does not mean giving up conflicting principles or values. Rather, it is about finding a way to manage differences. 

Another pillar of democracy is the universally recognised human right of freedom of expression. I believe that we can all agree that this right, and that of freedom of the press, have been essential for the development of democracy both in Indonesia and elsewhere.  

However, society is not made up of isolated individuals. Society, at both national and international level, is based on interaction between individuals, and on awareness of cultural, religious and perceptual differences. This entails showing tolerance for views that are not shared by everyone. 

How we exercise freedom of expression while respecting the diversity of our multicultural world is a challenge for all of us. The answers to the difficult questions involved can only be found through dialogue. The media has an essential role to play in promoting and nurturing a constructive, informed and open public debate.  

We very much valued the first Global Inter-Media Dialogue hosted by President Yudhoyono and Foreign Minister Støre in Bali last September, which brought together journalists to consider how problems concerning freedom of expression, tolerance and globalisation can be handled. We look forward to continue the discussion here in Oslo in June, when Norway and Indonesia will jointly host the second Global Inter-Media Dialogue.  

Dear participants, 

Indonesia has a key role to play in promoting human rights in the Asia-Pacific Region. During our human rights dialogue meeting in Jakarta last year, we learned about Indonesia’s National Plan of Action on Human Rights (2004–2009), in which it has set targets for ratifying a number of international human rights instruments. These include the Optional Protocols to the Convention against Torture, to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. We would be interested to hear about the latest developments in this area.  

This dialogue meeting brings together diplomats. More importantly, however, it also gathers representatives from academic and government institutions and members of the armed forces and the police. The involvement of civil society is very important, and we value this broad participation from both countries in our dialogue meetings. 

Simply talking about human rights is not enough. Action is also required, which is why practical cooperation is such an important part of our human rights dialogue. We hope that this meeting will contribute to the development of new, concrete projects that can complement ongoing ones. We value the Indonesia programme that is being run at the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights. The programme has several components, including many involving concrete cooperation projects.  

A joint police project supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also just about to be launched. It will focus on human rights training for members of the police force in Aceh.  Several Norwegian police officers will travel to Aceh to work with their Indonesian counterparts on incorporating international human rights standards into practical approaches to police work. The training programme will cover problem-solving-oriented police work, conflict resolution techniques, communication and administration. All of these elements will be incorporated into a framework based on community policing and building trust and respect through dialogue with the community. 

Later this month, the Norwegian Embassy in Jakarta, the University of Indonesia and the Indonesian Ministry of Women’s Empowerment are organising an international conference on the theme “Women for Peace”. The main topics of discussion at the conference will be trafficking and gender-based violence, religion and peace, and the role of women in peace building, with a special focus on UN Security Council resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. 

Ladies and gentlemen, 

Indonesia has ratified the central UN conventions prohibiting torture, and that is an important step. The prohibition of torture is absolute. Any person who perpetrates acts of torture must be brought to justice. Indonesia has recently invited the Special Rapporteur on Torture to make a country visit. We welcome this, and are hopeful that the visit will assist the Indonesian Government in taking action when allegations of torture are made against members of the police or armed forces, or against prison officers.  

We also welcome Indonesia’s invitation to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Human Rights Defenders, Ms Hina Jilani, to undertake a country visit in June this year. The Norwegian Government feels that Ms Jilani’s mandate and the safety of human rights defenders in general are extremely important. Human rights defenders play a vital role in the promotion and protection of human rights, and it is therefore essential that they are given effective support and protection, at both national and international level. 

These invitations are just two of the positive steps being taken within the framework of international cooperation to improve the human rights situation in Indonesia.  

Dear participants,  

Human rights protect not only ordinary citizens, but also the corrupt businessman, the terrorist, the slave driver and the unscrupulous dictator. Norway opposes the use of the death penalty regardless of the crime and the criminal, and Prime Minister Stoltenberg reiterated this in his discussions with President Yudhoyono during his visit to Indonesia last month. Foreign Minister Støre also mentioned this matter to Foreign Minister Wirayuda during their meeting here in Oslo a month ago.   

Another issue we have underlined in political meetings is the need to further combat corruption. Corruption diverts money that could otherwise be spent on health, education and other good causes. Since we last met, Indonesia has ratified the UN Convention against Corruption, and this is a most welcome step.  

We are pleased that one of our themes today and tomorrow is corporate social responsibility (CSR). We look forward to learning more about Indonesia’s new Capital Investment Law, in particular how it will influence foreign investment and how companies can deal with issues that arise as a result of their activities. Norway attaches great importance to  CSR-matters, and hosted a large international conference on CSR last month. We were glad that a representative from the Indonesian Embassy here in Oslo attended the conference. 

Our two nations already enjoy excellent bilateral relations, and they  continue to grow stronger. The issues that we will be addressing at this event are crucial elements for the well-being of our populations. I am looking forward to a constructive meeting and a friendly dialogue on the various agenda items. I am confident that everyone here – whether Norwegian or Indonesian, governmental or non-governmental – will make full use of the opportunities this dialogue offers. Let us put the time we have together to good use. 

Thank you.