Bogor, June 15, 2023 – The Lawyer Network for Public Interest in Indonesia (known as PILNET Indonesia) held the PILNET Conference Series at Hotel Onih, Bogor, West Java. The conference is the highest decision-making activity of PILNET Indonesia to select the Board of Trustees, Ethics Council, and Secretariat Management. The topic addressed in this conference is “The Role of Public Lawyers in Upholding Justice in Natural Resource Management and Climate Justice”.

PILNET Indonesia plays a crucial role in actively promoting justice across various sectors. Besides focusing on justice in natural resource management, climate justice is also essential and urgently needed. Learning from processes, good examples regarding mechanisms to garner support and prepare technical aspects in case assistance and litigation advocacy are crucial for replication.

Moreover, the need for capacity building through learning and collaborative partnerships across multidisciplinary fields is key to how public lawyers can contribute. As the availability of public lawyers is limited, it is essential to involve various actors such as the academic world (including academics and students) in law faculties. “There are many opportunities and ways to disseminate information and knowledge about non-positivist legal thinking”, said Dr. Hermansyah, an academic from the Faculty of Law, Tanjungpura University, and a member of PILNET Indonesia in the Main Seminar.

In addition to the Main Seminar, the conference also featured several issues discussed in panel discussions related to the situation of public lawyers as human rights defenders and their role in promoting justice in natural resource management, including forests, palm oil plantations, and energy transition. Andi Muttaqien, the Coordinator of the Secretariat Management, stated, “The Panel Discussion is expected to be the starting point for PILNET’s Public Lawyers to engage in learning processes and collaboration”.

In the 3rd PILNET Indonesia Conference, it was agreed to add 22 new members, consisting of 5 females and 17 males, as Public Lawyers who will collaborate within PILNET. ELSAM, HuMa Indonesia, WALHI, Sawit Watch, GEMAWAN, Greenpeace Indonesia, and Trend Asia were also reaffirmed as the Board of Trustees of PILNET Indonesia.

Sekar Banjaran Aji was elected as the Coordinator of the Secretariat Management of PILNET Indonesia, which consists of 7 members: Muhammad Busyrol Fuad, Bimantara Adjie Wardhana, N.W. Satrio Kusuma Manggala, Saleh Al Ghifari, Rahmawati, and Eep Saepulloh. Additionally, Samaratul Fuad was chosen as the Chairperson of PILNET’s Ethics Council, along with 6 PILNET members: Maharani Siti Sopia, Ali Husin Nasution, Gindo Nadapdap, Tandiono Bawor Purbaya, Arip Yogiawan, and Nurhanudin Achmad (Rambo), who will serve from 2023 to 2026.

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Documents of the Keynote Speakers’ Presentations in the Main Seminar and Panel Discussions can be accessed at the following link: https://bit.ly/PILNET2023