Canada backs RI's human rights efforts

Mon, 07/07/2008 10:31 AM  |  World

Canada supports Indonesia's local efforts to promote human rights, Canadian Ambassador to Indonesia John Holmes said Thursday at a seminar in Jakarta.

The seminar, organized by the Canadian and Norwegian embassies in cooperation with the Fadillah Rivai Rizki Law Office, was aimed at raising awareness of international humanitarian law, particularly that stipulated under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

"Canada and Indonesia have developed a strong partnership on human rights. I am pleased that the Canadian government is able to support this initiative to advance efforts to protect and promote human rights and humanitarian law in Indonesia, Ambassador Holmes said.

Besides Holmes, speakers at the seminar included noted law expert and director general of the Law and Human Rights Ministry Prof. Harkristuti Harkrisnowo, Indonesian Military Attorney General Brig. Gen. Heru Cahyono and Lukman Hakim Saifudin, a member of the House of Representatives' Commission III.

Indonesia will ratify the Rome Statute of the ICC this year.

Holmes, an international lawyer by training, was actively involved in drafting the Rome Statute in New York and Rome and attended the inaugural meeting of the ICC in The Hague in 2003. -- JP/Veeramalla Anjaiah

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