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HoLLanD-InDonEsIa
MuLtI FunctIEs saMEnWErkEn
(MuLtIDIMEnsIonaL PartnErsHIP)
areas. Due to the fact that a quarter of the country lies below sea level, Holland is an expert in water
management. It is also the world’s second largest agricultural exporter. Learn more in this column about
how the Netherlands is sharing its expertise in many areas to help Indonesia deal with its problems,
including ‘banjir’ related issues as well as women empowerment and eradication of poverty and the fight
against corruption, as presented by experts in various fields from the Netherlands Embassy below.
Promoting Democracy and
Good Governance in Indonesia
By: WIcaksono sarosa, ExEcutivE DirEctor, PartnErshiP for GovErnancE rEform
More than
a decade
has passed
since the
political
events that gave birth
to the reform era in
Indonesia. Partnership
for Governance
Reform (Kemitraan
bagi Pembaruan Tata-
Pemerintahan) has
supported Indonesia’s
reform from the onset.
The Partnership’s origin can
be traced back to Indonesia’s
economic and political crisis
in the late 1990s. Eminent
individuals from civil society,
government, the donor
community (including the
Netherlands) and the private
sector came together wanting
to sustain the strong spirit of
reform and the desire to advance
democracy in Indonesia. Their
collaborative relationship
contributed to the successful
and free general election in June
1999 and provided an ideal
platform to launch a mutual
effort in promoting governance
reform. A consultation process
led by the UNDP leadership saw
the creation of the Partnership
for Governance Reform in
Indonesia (Partnership), in
March 2000. Initially lacking
the institutional capacities
and systems to independently
carry out its broader tasks,
Partnership became a UNDP
project during its early years of
operations.
Both Indonesia and
Partnership for Governance
Reform have come a long
way since. Partnership is
now a fully independent and
national entity, after being
administered as UNDP-project
until 2010. And while the
reform process in Indonesia is
still ongoing, we can look back
at several major milestones
in democratic reform: free
general and presidential
elections; the largest big bang
decentralization process in
the world; and a strong press
freedom to name but a few.
But our work is not done
just yet. After all there are
still challenges that need to
be addressed if Indonesia
is to fulfil its enormous
potential. Partnership remains
committed to promoting
better governance, more
substantive democracy,
more comprehensive anticorruption
measures as well as
more sustainable development
practices.
Last year saw the launch of
the umbrella program called
Leveraging and Educating
Accountable Democracy in
Indonesia (LEAD Indonesia)
2010-2014*. Working across
a number of fronts, and in
partnership with various
government agencies and
civil society organizations, the
umbrella program has three
main components. First is a set
of projects that aim at helping
to improve the functioning of
democratic political systems.
This includes facilitation and
technical assistance in election
reforms, building capacities of
political entities, supporting
the establishment of Schools
of Democracy, strengthening
the position and number of
women in parliament and
government, promoting
MDGs, especially through
civil society monitoring
and participation and other
relevant activities.
Press briefing by Partnership on 22 December 2010 to discuss the reform of
the Electoral Democracy System and the 2014 General Election bills.
Second is a set of projects
that aim at promoting the
institutionalization of integrity
systems and fulfilment of rights
to basic services. This includes
facilitation and technical
assistance in formulation of the
national and regional strategies
for corruption eradication
and prevention, development
of integrity networks among
universities and local
bureaucracies, implementation
of e-procurement and many
other relevant activities.
Third is a set of projects
that aim at strengthening the
policies and implementation
of decentralized governance.
This includes facilitation
and technical assistance
to the formulation of the
Grand Design of Regional
Arrangement, developing
models of good village
governance, special support
for Papua’s empowerment and
economic development, policies
to improve the lives of the
people in border regions, and
various other relevant activities.
With the above set of
projects, it is expected that
Indonesia’s democracy will
be more meaningful and
beneficial to the people.
Indonesia’s democracy is
a process, rather than an
outcome, and by working
closely with local partnerships
- both within government, as
well as civil society and the
academic world - we hope
to be part of building a more
equitable democracy where all
Indonesians are able to benefit
from Indonesia’s development.
* The Netherlands is one of several
donor countries supporting the
LEAD-programme
PHOTO: COURTESY OF NETHERLANDS EMBASSY. The size of the Netherlands may be only as ‘small’ as Bali, but the country is a world expertise in many
www.nowjakarta.co.id MAY 2011 | 49