Michiko Miyamoto, ILO Country Director for Indonesia and Timor-Leste, conducted a courtesy meeting with Ida Fauziyah, Minister of Manpower, at the Ministry of Manpower on 10 November. During the meeting, Michiko appreciated the special attention given by the Minister Ida on the joint programme of the ILO and the Ministry of Manpower on the operationalization of the Migrant Resource Centres in four cities known as sending areas of migrant workers and the initiative to prevent and eliminate violence and harassment at work through the development of task forces at company levels.

Michiko also appreciated the initiatives of the Ministry of Manpower on social protection, particularly the development and implementation of Unemployment Benefit programme (JKP) initiated during the crucial momentum of COVID-19 pandemic. Michiko took the opportunity to officially submit five ILO reports on social protection as follows:

• Maternity leave in metropolitan Indonesia: Evidence on duration, benefits and job protection;
• Social insurance and climate change in Indonesia: Implications for Adaptive Social Protection ambitions;
• Report to the Government: Financial assessment of the social security pension schemes administered by BPJS Ketenagakerjaan as of 31 December 2020 and costing of sickness and maternity benefits;
• Unemployment insurance in Indonesia: Challenges and recommendations; and
• Feasibility study on an unemployment insurance system for Indonesia: Institutional and operational aspects.

Minister Ida welcomed the submission of the ILO various reports on social protection and appreciated the continued support given by the ILO to the implementation and expansion of social protection programmes in the country. She also wished that Michiko would continue building a good relation and collaboration with Indonesia in her new ILO assignment in India, starting in mid of November.

The courtesy meeting was concluded with a photo session showing the strong cooperation built between ILO and the Ministry of Manpower. As a tripartite organization, the ILO works closely with the key labour actors of its member States. In Indonesia, in addition to the Ministry of Manpower, the ILO has closely worked with the Indonesian Employers’ Association (Apindo) and six Trade Union Confederations.