IO – The Government of Indonesia and the Government of the Netherlands held a 2-day seminar to celebrate a collaboration: Joint Session to improve security and justice. The seminar, held on December 11 – 12, 2019 took place at Erasmus Huis (Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, on the first day and Atmajaya University on the second day. INLU 2019 was opened by the Dutch Ambassador to Indonesia, HE Mr. Lambert Grijn, along with The Republic of Indonesia Minister of Law and Human Rights HE Yasonna Laoly. Further, Deputy Chief Justice of the Supreme Court HE Muhammad Syarifuddin launched the “Access to Justice Index by the National Development Planning Agency” (Bappenas).
INLU not only celebrated 50 years of cooperation between Indonesia and the Netherlands in the field of law, but also expressed its appreciation for the wealth of relations between the two countries that transcended national borders and formal cooperation agreements, because they were rooted in kinship and personal relations between Indonesian and Dutch communities. The relationship was established primarily through education, knowledge exchange and joint research between young people and future leaders of the two countries. From there, this close relationship grows and is intertwined, often in the form of lifelong friendships between individuals which propagate in cooperation and close ties between the two countries’ institutions.
The Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) Institutional Relations Expert Staff HE Ms. Diani Sadia Wati pointed out that INLU 2019 is the third event held, once in the Netherlands, and twice in Indonesia. In the legal system, Indonesia and the Netherlands have the same DNA, and this facilitates cooperation. One important item on the agenda was the launch of the Access to Justice Index by Bappenas. The launch is related to the realization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) No. 16 concerning peace, justice, and strong institutions, especially point three about promoting legislation at national and international levels, and ensuring access to equitable justice for all. Diani said, “The Access to Justice Index was created from the collaboration of Bappenas with a consortium that consisted of a number of non-governmental legal organizations, namely, the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), the Judicial Research Society, and the Indonesian Legal Roundtable.
The Minister of Law and Human Rights of the Republic of Indonesia, HE Yasonna H. Laoly in his opening speech, acknowledged the NLU for its positive contribution to this effort, in view of its activities to develop and strengthen cooperation among entities in Indonesia and the Netherlands. The Minister also encouraged students and lecturers to pursue higher degrees in law education. He said. “The Government makes it easier now for every individual to apply for scholarships provided by the Ministry of Finance to study abroad.”
Closing his remarks, Mr Laoly said “We need to work together to address issues of common concern. Indonesia is open for any possible cooperation to enhance our capacity in providing access to justice for all. Each of us has a role to contribute, and you all have a significant role as scholars and professionals to contribute to our efforts in providing people’s justice. I wish you all a fruitful discussion and deliberation in this important forum. “
Meanwhile the Dutch Ambassador to Indonesia HE Mr. Lambert Grijn concluded with these remarks: “The seminar is a form of collaboration, not only government to government, but institution to institution, and most importantly people to people. It is the people that make the relation sturdy, it is the people that started it, and it is the people that keep it going.” He further said that “Because a rule of systems is never finished, we continue to work on development of legal systems in both our countries, adapting them to an ever-changing world. We come together when and where we can learn from each other and where we have common challenges”. (OHW)