The Raoul Wallenberg Institute has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with its main partner in Indonesia, the Directorate General of Corrections (DGC).
“This reflects both parties commitment to strengthen the implementation of human rights in prisons,” says Christian Ranheim, the head of RWI’s field office in Jakarta. “This means the project will expand the capacity building activities to institutions throughout Indonesia with the support from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
Areas for collaboration under the expanded agreement include auditor training, capacity building at the managerial level and human rights-based action planning.
“As a person who has participated in RWI trainings and participated in a study visit to Sweden, I know first-hand how important this cooperation is for the strengthening of human rights implementation in Indonesia’s correctional facilities. I am very happy that both parties have decided to continue the cooperation and really looking forward to observe where this cooperation will take us,” says Ibnu Chuldun, DGC’s Director of Information and Communication.
Robianto, the head of standardization and evaluation sub-directorate at DGC, says that the information from RWI activities has been implemented well in the pilot institutions and that it is time to spread this knowledge nationwide.
“With the signing of the MoU and the support and enthusiasm from the Director General, I hope that we could socialize and implement the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners from Sabang in the west to Merauke in the east,” he says.
RWI and DGC have been working together since 2007 in securing the implementation of the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and other relevant international standards. This work has led to building the capacity of more than 1,000 staff at the DGC main office and at seven correctional institutions, including two juvenile institutions.