Five national institutions in Indonesia have signed an agreement with the Ministry of Law and Human Rights for closer cooperation and monitoring of places of detention, in preparation of a future ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed at an official ceremony in connection to the 52nd anniversary of the Corrections Department. The five national institutions are: the National Human Rights Commission (KOMNAS HAM), the Child Commission (Komnas Anak), the Women's Commission (Komnas Perempuan), the Ombudsman and the Victim and Witness Protection Agency. They agree to cooperate with the Ministry as an independent oversight mechanism for places of detention in Indonesia.
This is one of the key outcomes of the National Conference and Workshop on Establishing a National Preventive Mechanism in Indonesia, which was co-organized by KOMNAS HAM, the APT and EU in February this year.
