VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesia is known as one of the countries which often provides assistance in the form of capacity building to other countries especially in the Asia – Pacific region in various fields. According to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Yukiya Amano, the assistance provided by Indonesia especially regarding the use of creative technology is an important point that is owned by Indonesia. This was conveyed by Yukiya Amano after meeting with Deputy Minister of Indonesian Foreign Affairs A. M Fachir in Jakarta, Monday, February 5^th.

"You are using in a new creative technology, for agriculture, for human health. Very important point is that you are not only working with IAEA but you are helping other countries, in the ASEAN and beyond. I very much appreciate," Yukiya Amano said.

Yukiya Amano added, related to creative technology cooperation, currently IAEA with Indonesia is developing two important projects. The first project deals with intensifying the quality of soybean production to improve productivity and profitability of soybean farming. The second project involves the use of nuclear techniques, such as immuno radio tests and stable isotopes to increase livestock production and improve the management of locally based feed. Both projects are efforts to achieve food self-sufficiency and sustainable development goals (SDGs) in Indonesia.///// (VOI/Rezha/AHM)

Business and human rights issues are one of the new issues related to the implementation of human rights globally. The issue has become a concern of many countries around the world after the United Nations passed the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs on B & HR) in 2011. This guide becomes the reference of many countries around the world in formulating policies related to business and human rights. However, in addition to guiding these principles, the state should look at how the characteristics of business actors operating in the country. This was conveyed by the Director General of Multilateral Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Febrian Alphyanto Ruddyard in his speech at the opening of Regional Workshop on Business and Human Rights in Jakarta, February 5^th. The two-day workshop was the initiation of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with the European Union (EU), the International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID), and the Indonesia Global Compact Network.

"Every country has its characteristics that need to be carefully scrutinized and certainly become the factor in the formulation of business and human rights policy. Indonesia for example, micro, small and medium enterprises or MSMEs are the majority of economic actors in the country. In addition there are alsostate-owned enterprises that certainly havetheir own characteristics. Therefore, dissemination and enhancement of undestanding among stakeholders are important," Febrian Alphyanto Ruddyard said.

Ruddyard added that the growth of industrial and investment sectors in Southeast Asia is now one of the factors driving countries in the region to formulate policies related to business and human rights. Indonesia is a country that pioneers the launching of business and human rights policies through the National Business Action Plan and Human Rights initiated by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) in cooperation with the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (ELSAM) in 2016./// (VOI/Rezha/AHM)

President Joko Widodo asked the National Committee on Sharia Finance to take measures in developing the high potential of sharia economy in Indonesia. On opening of the Plenary Meeting of the Committee on Monday at the Presidential Office in Jakarta, the President said the development of Sharia economic potential should be aimed at becoming the main driver of the national economy. In addition, according to him, the development of sharia financial industry should also be aimed at encouraging productive development. The President also hopes the National Committee of Sharia Finance to expand the Islamic Micro Finance Institution at boarding schools in Indonesia. In addition, the President also highlighted the importance of zakat and waqf management reform to be able to overcome the poverty and to suppress inequality.

"I want to emphasize that in the development of sharia economy we should not only become the target market and industrial products of other countries and consumers. With the huge market potential in our country, we must be the main driver of sharia economy. In addition, the development of Islamic finance industry must be really beneficial for productive things including supporting efforts to reduce poverty in order to suppress the number of inequality" the President said.

As a country with the largest Muslim population in the world, Indonesia has enormous potential to develop the financial and economic sectors of sharia. President Joko Widodo mentioned that in the sharia financial industry sector, sharia banking assets continue to increase in 2017, reaching 435 trillion rupiah or about 5.8 percent of the total banking assets of Indonesia. And so does the syariah capital market where the market share of Sukuk Indonesia reached 19 percent of all sukuk published by various countries.

In addition, total assets of the non-bank Islamic financial industry have also doubled in the last 5 years. According to the President, Indonesia also has enormous potential in collecting religious social funds, such as pilgrim funds, zakat funds, waqf funds, as well as funds of infaq and alms. Some sectors of Islamic economics that can be developed include the fashion industry, Muslim fashion, halal food industry, pharmaceutical industry and also the tourism sector./// (VOI/Andy/AHM)