Indonesia is one of the world’s largest fish producers, along with China and Peru. In 2020, capture fisheries production in Indonesia is estimated at 7.7 million tonnes according to data from the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment for 2022. The fisheries sector also employs 2.1 million workers, and 3.1 million are involved in processing and marketing fishery products. However, Indonesia, in the eyes of the ILO (International Labor Organization), UN is included in 3 countries in the world along with South Africa and Ghana, which has many problems in the field of protection of workers in the fisheries sector, especially workers who work on foreign fishing vessels.
On the basis of these problems, the ILO (International Labor Organization) held a Kick off Campaign Program for the Promotion of Decent Work in the Fisheries Sector in hybrid manner (offline and online), on Wednesday (29/3) at 15.00 WIB, with an offline event taking place at the 4th floor of Hall of Building C, Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) Undip. The event was opened by the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) Undip, Prof. Dr. Suharnomo, S.E., M.Si. In his remarks, Prof. Suharnomo welcomed this collaboration and expressed his gratitude for the trust of UN international institutions in the execution of these ILO programs. The person who attended this event was Alexandra Hallqvist, from the Headquarter Office, ILO Geneva and the National Program Coordinator were Mr. Muhamad Nour, ILO-Jakarta Expert and Jaka Aminata, Ph.D. Head of Economics Study Program at Undip as panelist.
This event is very important, because the ILO (International Labor Organization) pays attention to Indonesia, South Africa and Ghana as important subjects in the context of Human Trafficking, Illegal Contracts and Illegal Fishing. The campaign program is a continuation of the program initiated by the ILO and its initial activities were held in Geneva from November 28, 2022 to December 2, 2022 with the topic: Promoting decent work and the elimination of forced labour in the fishing industry, Teaching labour and human rights in business schools. FEB Undip is the only university in Indonesia that was invited to the event.
Undip is appointed by the UN agency as a leading university in Indonesia, even the world in the context of: Promotion of Decent Work in the Fisheries Sector.
Undip will be the only leading University in Asia-Pacific that has a special MoU with the ILO on “Decent Work in the Fisheries Sector” and FEB Undip has an MoA (Memorandum of Agreements), and is the only faculty in Indonesia as a Role Model in the context of tackling Human Trafficking, Illegal Contracts and Illegal Fishing.
The ILO carried out this promotion or campaign by collaborating with universities, in making an international standard Curriculum and Syllabus Design where Undip and 18 world universities became the main driving force in supporting the role model for business activities and human rights in the global supply chain which related to many problems. Education and training are the main factors in this activity campaign to protect the rights of Indonesian migrant workers.
In the near future the ILO will also build a Migrant Worker Center office in Pemalang, Central Java, where most workers are sent on foreign ships, with inadequate protection.