The National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan), has urged the government to immediately ratify the United Nations international convention on the protection of the rights of all migrant workers and members of their families.

“Ratifying the convention is a fundamental move which must be immediately taken. This convention will be the legal umbrella for any policies undertaken by the national government, which is now reforming its protection and placement measures for migrant workers,” commission spokesman Agustinus Supriyanto said yesterday.

The convention signed on December 18, 1990 guarantees and sets the standards for the protection of migrant workers’ rights and the rights of their families. Indonesia signed the agreement, which came into force in March 2003, but has yet to ratify it.

Supriyanto said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono must immediately put the government’s commitment to protecting migrant workers into action as promised in his speech during the 100th ILO International Labor Conference held June 1-17 in Geneva.

“All related parties need to work together to make ratification of the convention real,” he continued.

By ratifying the convention, Indonesia will have stronger bargaining powers in efforts to resolve problems faced by migrant workers, he explained.

Crosier Father Serafin Danny Sanusi, executive secretary of the Indonesian bishops’ Commission for Justice and Peace, echoed the call.

“We have been working together with several NGOs, including Komnas Perempuan, to have the convention ratified,” he said.

He also said the Church “wants a strong commitment from the government to deal with humanity issues for the sake of its citizens’ protection.”

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