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UNAIR NEWS – In the context of International Relations, the main player with obligations to protect human rights is the state, but the obligations now do not belong to the state only. In 1974, United Nations Commission Transnational Corporations became a non-state player including international companies with responsibilities and roles in protecting human rights.

Dr. (HC) Triyono Wibowo, alumnus of Faculty of Law  UNAIR in National Symposium held on Tuesday, April 26, explained that to deal with it, UN Human Rights Council has agreed to establish United Nations Guiding Principles (UNGP) which the membership is voluntary.

“The main objective of UNGP is to make guiding principle which legally binding but voluntary, if interested you can join, if not then it’s okay. We started a working group to review legally binding a while ago,” he said.

After three years implemented, UNGP started to plan legally binding process but still on its approaches to be implemented. But again, resistance came from the advanced countries. Even in one of the forum, all representatives of European Union and the United States of America did not want to join and walked out. According to the Ambassasor  Triyono Wibowo, resistance from multinational companies’ owners is still great until now.

“This is where the strategic UNGP deemed able to give legal, political and  moral foundation which relates business and hhuman rights issues,” he said.

“What needs to do now is how to internalize and consider the ongoing process at international level echoes widely in the country and we can get the advantages for national development with human rights basis,” said the Doctor with Honoris Causa from UNAIR in 2013.

In his opinion, UNGP implementation has its own challenges. On one hand, Indonesia needs foreign investment for development, on the other hand also has obligation to protect and promote human rights. Therefore, Indonesia keeps following discussion on UNGP at international level to be used as foundations to implementation at national level when human rights problems occur.

“One of the targets we expect is focused efforts so this UNGP takes its firm root in Indonesia, so there is sense of belonging among the stakeholders, and then responsibility is shared in the implementation in Indonesia,” he said. (*)

Author : Muhammad Ahalla Tsauro
Editor  : Nuri Hermawan