CRPD
Rights Tracker
Government Action
(Art. 7) Children with disabilities
Committee Recommendation
Recalling the joint statement of the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on the rights of children with disabilities (2022), the Committee recommends that the State party establish policies, mechanisms and processes to facilitate the effective participation of children with disabilities in children’s forums and in decision-making processes to ensure they can freely express their views on all matters affecting them on an equal basis with other children.
ⓘ Indicators
Facilitate the effective participation of children with disabilities in children's forums
Update on implementing CRPD recommendations
2025
A number of regulations have been established by the Government of Indonesia to guarantee children's rights:
Minister of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Regulation of the Republic of Indonesia Number 1 of 2022 Concerning Amendments to the Minister of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Regulation Number 18 of 2019 Concerning the Implementation of Children's Forums.
Minister of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Regulation Number 12 of 2022 concerning the Implementation of Child-Friendly Regencies/Cities.
The absence of derivative/technical regulations stemming from the Ministerial regulation on Children's Forums, which affirms that children with disabilities must be involved actively and participatively from the start of planning to implementation and even evaluation, including accommodating the needs of persons with disabilities such as SLIs (Sign Language Interpreters), infrastructure accessibility, and reasonable accommodation.
In practice, the situation of persons with disabilities can currently be seen from several situations, including:
In Ambon, HWDI Maluku noted that in the National Children's Forum meeting (in the context of National Children's Day 2023), children with disabilities were invited as participants and performers, but were not involved in discussions or asked for their opinions regarding the event's organization. Thus, children with disabilities were included, although not fully involved actively and participatively from the start of the activity's design and implementation.
In East Kalimantan, the involvement of children with disabilities in the National Children's Forum is not yet sustainable, still depending on the policies of the duty bearers.
In Yogyakarta, the CP (Cerebral Palsy) community was invited to attend the Musrenbang (Musyawarah Perencanaan Pembangunan - Development Planning Forum); but because it was the first activity, no one was willing to attend. Due to the children's ages, CP children focus on therapy and none can represent CP at the child's age.
Generally, there have been no inclusive adjustment efforts between disabled and non-disabled children, nor is there sufficient interaction between disabled and non-disabled children.
There is no AYL (Age-Youth Limit) for children with intellectual disabilities (children with Down syndrome who can no longer participate in the children's forum, because the Minister of WECP Regulation No. 1/2022 does not regulate AYL).