RESEARCH
1. INTRODUCTION
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Indonesia has been going on for 11
months since President Joko Widodo officially announced the first two Indonesians who
have confirmed positive for the virus on 2 March 2020.1 When this research was written in
early February 2021, more than 1.18 million people were infected, and 32 thousand others
died.2
Besides resulting in casualties, the COVID-19 pandemic affected Indonesian society in many
other ways as well. Among other things, increasing unemployment, a higher poverty rate,
and a greater number of school dropouts. In Indonesia, the unemployment rate increased
to 7.07%, the poverty rate rose to 9.7%, and 983 children dropped out of school.3 SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations (UN), Antonio Guterres stated that the COVID-19 pandemic
is not only a health emergency but also a “social, economic and human crisis that finally
turns into human rights crisis.”4
Consequently, the COVID-19 pandemic affects the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2020
published by The United Nations indicated concrete impacts on all 17 SDGs. In Indonesia,
Migrant Care also published a report on the same issue.5
1
“Presiden Jokowi Tegaskan Keseriusan Pemerintah Tangani Wabah Korona”, Kementerian Sekretariat
Negara Republik Indonesia, published on 02 March 2020, https://www.setneg.go.id/baca/index/
presiden_jokowi_tegaskan_keseriusan_pemerintah_tangani_wabah_korona.
2
“Peta Sebaran”, Satgas COVID-19, published on 10 February 2021, https://covid19.go.id/peta-sebaran.
3
Increasing unemployment and poverty in Indonesia, see: “COVID-19 Pandemic: Impact on National
Development and SDGs” as the presentation that was presented by Diani Sadia Wati, Staf Ahli Menteri
Perencanaan Pembangunan Nasional/Badan Perencanaan Pembangunan Nasional Republik Indonesia
(Bappenas RI), in the 2020 Human Rights Festival, 17 December 2020. School dropouts in Indonesia due
to the COVID-19 pandemic, see: “UNICEF Indonesia dalam Peluncuran Strategi Nasional Penanganan
Anak Tidak Sekolah (ATS)” and Diseminasi Nasional Hasil Monitoring ATS that was held virtually via
Bappenas RI YouTube account, 23 December 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRN2DM0uBcE.
4
António Guterres, “We are all in this Together: Human Rights and COVID-19 Response and Recovery”,
United Nations, published on 23 April 2020, https://www.un.org/en/un-coronavirus-communicationsteam/we-are-all-together-human-rights-and-covid-19-response-and.
5
Hamong Santono, Safina Maulida, dan Wahyu Susilo, “Pandemi COVID-19: Tantangan Nyata Tujuan
Pembangunan Berkelanjutan di Indonesia”, Migrant Care, published on 30 September 2020, https://
migrantcare.net/2020/09/pandemi-covid19-tantangan-nyata-tpb-di-indonesia/.
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