Aceh to host international nurses conference

Antara News, Sat, May 21 2011

Banda Aceh (ANTARA News) - Aceh province is to host an international nurses conference next June 16-18, chairman of the local Nurses Association , Saifuddin AR, said here on Saturday.

Under the theme "Clinical Nursery to face the Future", the June conference would bring together nurses from around the world to share their experiences.

He said the event was expected to contribute to the betterment of health services to the people.

"The event is also a chance for Aceh province to show to the participants the current situation in the region," he said adding that up till now, 300 participants namely from Norway, Sweden, Thailand and Malaysia had confirmed their plans to attend the upcoming event.

Editor: Ruslan Burhani

Yudhoyono Opens International Corruption Conference

Jakarta Globe, May 10, 2011

Related articles

• UN to Give Yudhoyono Disaster Management Award
• Angelina Sondakh Prepared to Take 'Ultimate Oath' to Swear Innocence in Graft Case
• Sports Ministry Official to Face KPK Questioning
• SBY Tells KPK to Catch Corrupters Red-Handed
• KPK to Summon Democrat in Sports Ministry Corruption Scandal

Fighting corruption is not just a moral imperative but also a democratic, political, social, and economic obligation, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono says.

Yudhoyono made the statement in his opening address at the International Conference on Foreign Bribery in Business Transactions 2011 in Bali on Tuesday.

Present in the conference were Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) officials and representatives of law enforcement and corruption eradication from the G-20, OECD, APEC and Asian Development Bank, as well as national and foreign observers.

“This gathering is truly a corrupter's worst nightmare! Thank you for taking part in this very important conference, to talk about combating bribery in international business transactions,” Yudhoyono said, adding that fighting graft had been a cornerstone of his administration.

Commenting on bribery cases, the president said the money spent on bribes meant the money was not used to improve roads, schools and hospitals.

“By turning a blind eye to a bribe here and a bribe there, we are compromising the quality of life for ourselves, our parents, our children. We all pay the price. Ultimately, bribery robs all of us of true progress and economic growth,” Yudhoyono said.

He said that even today, systemic corruption continued, and in developing countries, it did so by taking advantage of the global financial network.

The corrupt exploit the international financial network, covering their tracks in foreign jurisdictions, he said, adding that as long as these “safe havens” existed, people would continue to siphon money and send it overseas, he said.

“We cannot keep on supporting this endemic problem,” the president said, adding that the World Bank estimated that bribery accounted for some 3 per cent of the world’s economy, or more than $1 trillion dollars.

He said bribery was prevalent in tax evasion efforts, and it was also rife in the investment sector, particularly foreign investment.

But Yudhoyono said law enforcement agencies were not keeping idle for some 150 companies and individuals, in more than 10 countries have been charged with bribery and duly punished.

“Today, some 250 cases remain under investigation. Yet, these efforts have not been enough.”

Antara

Related Articles:

Anti-corruption campaigns need int`l support : president

KPK and international experts to discuss foreign bribery

Global Companies Slated to Go Green At Business Meet

Jakarta Globe, Fidelis E. Satriastanti | April 27, 2011

Related articles

• Elephant’s Death Sparks Call for Govt to Set Up Human-Animal Conflict Team
• UN Reveals Paradigm Shift For Global Green Economy
• WWF, NU Team Up for Green Campaign
• Policy Reform Needed to Realize Nation’s Green Dream
• US Trade Mission Seeks Green Energy Tie-Ups With Indonesia

More than 200 companies from around the globe are expected to attend a key summit in Jakarta this week, where they will sign a pledge to cut their carbon emissions and adopt eco-friendly practices.

The commitment is one of the highlights of the Business for Environment summit (B4E), led annually by the World Wildlife Fund, which runs from Thursday through Friday. A pre-summit event it held on Wednesday.

The meeting encourages executives and entrepreneurs to help solve pressing environmental issues by creating green economies, protecting biodiversity and reducing their carbon footprints. It also promotes the UN’s forestry conservation program.

Shinta Widjaja Kamdani, deputy chair of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), one the event partners, said the summit was in line with Indonesia’s target to cut emissions by 26 percent by 2020.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is scheduled to address the summit on the second day, has said the country could reduce emissions by 41 percent with international assistance.

“Reaching this is possible,” Shinta said on Tuesday.

“If the companies [agree with the] meeting’s goal, they will be required to help achieve emissions-cutting targets through projects,” she added.

Shinta said the pledges, to be announced by the firms before the summit’s close, would reveal their ideas on the best strategies that they believe would help the environment.

But she said the government should also do its part in encouraging the private sector to adopt more eco-friendly practices in their operations.

“I always say to the government that if we want to do this [cut emissions], then we would have to give these companies incentives,” she said.

“We obviously want to achieve the target, but we need to examine the economic condition,” she said. “We are private enterprises engaged in commercial — not voluntary — activities.”

“This is not a form of corporate social responsibility, so it will need the proper support [from the government],” she added.

Senior officials, including Hatta Rajasa, the coordinating minister for the economy, will participate in the summit.

Shinta said Kadin was preparing a list of recommendations on how the government could encourage companies, particularly those in the banking sector, to go green.

She added that the Indonesian Business Council, a unit of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, would also be launched during the summit.

WWF-Indonesia head Efransjah said firms played a major role in helping conserve resources as well as prevent further environmental damage.

Related Articles:

Unilever raises the green flag

GE, Google to invest in $2 billion Oregon wind farm

Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plain - (Google)

Indonesia to host Global Peace Festival of Asia Pacific 2010

English.news.cn, 2010-09-09

JAKARTA, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia will host the Global Peace Festival of Asia Pacific 2010, a world conference on peace joined by about 400 religious and faith leaders on Oct. 15-18, detikcom online news reported on Thursday.

"The selection of Indonesia as the host country is right as while we have many races, religions, skin colors and others, we can live in peace and harmony," said Patron Head of Global Peace Festival Indonesia Foundation (GPIF) Musdah Mulia.

Mulia hopes that the conference could be followed up with concrete cooperation.

The event will peak on Oct. 17, featuring culture and art performance of various regions in Indonesia and the Association of Southeast Asia Nations.

Religious leaders and public figures will also send peace messages.

RI obtains US$ 55 million grant from global fund

Antara News, Wednesday, June 23, 2010 21:51 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Global Fund has once again provided Indonesia with a grant of US$55 million for its AIDS prevention program.

"In the first phase, the Fund will provide 55 million US dollars to be e given to three main recipients, namely the Ministry of Health, the National AIDS Commission (KPA) and the nation`s biggest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)," Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih said here on Wednesday.

She said the grant would be provided in installments for two periods, namely 2010-2012 and 2012-2015.

Of the grant`s total amount , about 39 million US dollars would be managed by the Ministry of Health, 18 million US dollars by the National AIDS Commission (KPA) and about 2 million US dollars by NU.

The grant would primarily be used to tackle three infectious diseases, namely AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and malaria.

Indonesia was again given the grant because it was considered successful in preventing these diseases in recent years.

Global Fund Executive Director Professor Michel Kazatchkine said Indonesia had been very successful in the use of previous grant funds. The Global Fund had witnessed Indonesia`s success in fighting the three diseases over the past eight to ten years.

Since 2002, the Global Fund has disbursed 630 million US dollars in grants to Indonesia to combat the three diseases.

The minister said of the total of amount of grants received from the Global Fund as much as 115 million US dollars were used for prevention of AIDS, 113 million US dollars for tuberculosis and 185 million US dollars for malaria.

RI to exhibit cultural, natural richness

Primastuti Handayani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 04/29/2010 9:03 AM

Less than a week before the kickoff of the World Expo Shanghai China (WESC) 2010, the organizers announced tickets for the May 1 opening day were sold out.

Such great enthusiasm reflects the pride of the Chinese government in hosting the event — dubbed the third largest in the world after the Olympic Games and the soccer World Cup. The organizers have issued some tips on the World Expo’s website for would-be visitors, which include finding the entrances and wearing comfortable walking shoes.

For the government of Indonesia, this year’s World Expo is very special. It is the second time Indonesia has had its own pavilion at the event. The first time was in New York in 1964, where Indonesia also participated as an independent country. During the Dutch colonial era, Indonesia, then named the Dutch Indies, took part in the event in Chicago in 1893.

A total of 192 countries and 50 multinational corporations have confirmed their participation at the six-month-long event that will end on Oct. 31. The event is expected to attract 70 million visitors from around the globe, the organizers said on its website en.expo2010.cn.

Indonesia’s Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said recently that the presence of the Indonesia pavilion in the expo “is proof of the efforts to position the country on the world map.

“It will enhance Indonesia’s image as a country possessing rich cultural, natural… resources and a rich civilization,” said Mari, who chairs the Indonesian participation committee.

For Indonesia, this nation branding exercise — the term nation branding was first coined by author and British government adviser Simon Anholt — is to showcase the country’s potential and achievements in economic growth, democracy and politics, as well as culture.

What makes Indonesia’s participation more special is that the year 2010 marks the 60th anniversary of Indonesia-China diplomatic ties. Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao had to cancel his state visit to Jakarta, slated for April 23, following the earthquake in Yushu county that killed over 2,000 people.

At the 5.28-square-kilometer WESC, the Indonesian pavilion will be located in Zone B along with pavilions for Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Singapore, New Zealand, Malaysia, the Philippines and other international organizations, including the United Nations. The 2,400-square-meter pavilion is built on a 4,000-square-meter plot of land.

The Indonesian pavilion carries the theme “Indonesia Biodiver City”, in line with the WESC grand theme “Better City, Better Life”.

To showcase the theme, the pavilion is covered with greenish bamboo stems, some of them growing out

of the ceiling. The use of bamboo reflects the synergy between the traditional and contemporary lifestyle

in Indonesia.

The pavilion’s interior will highlight Indonesia’s diverse culture, influenced by China following the arrival of Admiral Cheng Ho, or Zheng He, of China, in the 1400s, and by Buddhism as represented by the Borobudur temple relief inside the pavilion and others.

The pavilion will include a restaurant serving Indonesian food and a special corner for Komodo dragons where visitors can vote for the beast to be among the world’s New Seven Wonders of Nature.

“Every single aspect of the display [at the pavilion] will reflect our true character as a nation,” Mari said.

The government chose “Indonesia is” as the country’s tagline.

Indrani Buntarian, the communication specialist on Indonesia’s committee, said the tagline was aimed at sending a positive message about Indonesia to the whole world.

“This event is important for Indonesia because it is a place where we can build a ‘conversation’ with other countries,” she said.

Mari said that by promoting Indonesia, foreign investors were expected to invest in Indonesia, and the WESC was tipped to bring a multiplying effect in tourism, trade and investment. The government aims to earn Rp 1 trillion (US$110.8 million) in transactions at the event.

Indonesia’s committee has an agreement with flag carrier Garuda Indonesia to be the expo’s official airline for both Indonesian delegates and the public. Garuda is the only Indonesian airline linking Shanghai with Jakarta.

Garuda Indonesia’s president and CEO Emirsyah Satar expressed hope that the WESC would help raise the number of passengers using its Jakarta-Shanghai service by between 10 and 15 percent, from last year’s 60,000 passengers.

Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) Step Up Their Fight Against Corruption with Joint Sanction Accord

Asian Development Bank, 9 April 2010

LUXEMBOURG - Taking a major step in the global fight against fraud and corruption, leading Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) today signed an agreement to cross debar firms and individuals found to have engaged in wrongdoing in MDB-financed development projects.

The new accord, which applies to debarments that exceed one year, includes: the African Development Bank Group, the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Inter-American Development Bank Group, and the World Bank Group. Sanctions by MDBs typically include reprimand, conditions on future contracting, or debarment -declaring a company or individual ineligible to participate in any future activities it finances, either for a period of time or permanently. Public debarment, which carries with it both financial and reputational risks, is considered a major deterrent to wrongdoing. Under the new agreement, entities debarred by one MDB may be sanctioned for the same misconduct by other participating development banks.

Read the full news release.

Indonesia to host world movement for democracy forum

Antara News, Friday, April 9, 2010 13:43 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia will host the 6th World Movement for Democracy (WMD) Forum which is to be attended by hundreds of democracy activists from around the world on April 11-14, 2010.

WMD Director Art Kaufman said the forum would be attended by at least 625 democracy activists, practitioners, academics, and other participants from more than 110 countries.

The 6th WMD forum in Indonesia will focus on the world movement to defend civil society, a review of democratic assistance programs, and a continuing discussion of ways to ensure democracy`s success.

"At the forum, the participants will discuss various ways to develop democracy around the world," Art Kaufman said at a press conference also attended by Indonesia WMD steering committee member Bambang Harymurti and Civil Society Alliance for Democracy (Yappika) manager Abdi Suryaningati.

Yappika is a civil society network committed to people`s empowerment, legislation monitoring and lobbying, and political education.

It is also a founding member of the Humanitarian Emergency Commission (KDK) which provided emergency relief and reconstruction assistance for Aceh and North Sumatra.

Meanwhile, Yappika manager Abdi Suryaningati said the participants of the forum would also exchange views and experiences about democracy in their respective countries, and solidarity building in the democracy movement.

"The World Movement for Democracy will also function as a study forum for Indonesia because the country has not yet reached an optimum level of democracy," Abdi Suryaningati said.

WMD is a global network of democrats, including activists, practitioners, academics, policy makers, and funders, who have come together to cooperate in the promotion of democracy.

The Washington, DC-based National Endowment for Democracy (NED) initiated the nongovernmental effort with holding of a global Assembly in New Delhi, India, in February 1999 to strengthen democracy where it is weak, to reform and invigorate democracy even where it is longstanding, and to bolster pro-democracy groups in countries that have not yet entered into a process of democratic transition.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is scheduled to open the three-day forum in Jakarta next Monday, April 12, 2010.

Related Article:

Indonesia attends 6th ASEM interfaith dialog in Madrid