UNAIR and UNICEF to advance children’s rights

Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) hosted the Public Dissemination of the East Java 2025–2029 Integrated Sub-National Financing Framework (ISFF) on Thursday (June 12, 2025). The event took place in the Majapahit Room, 5th Floor of the ASEEC Tower on UNAIR’s Dharmawangsa-B Campus, and served as a forum to explore alternative regional financing strategies aimed at advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a particular emphasis on children’s rights. The initiative was a collaboration between UNICEF, the East Java Provincial Government, and UNAIR through the Airlangga Institute for Learning and Growth (AILG). It brought together representatives from government ministries, international institutions, academia, and multi-sector development partners to address how sub-national financing models can accelerate inclusive development. ISFF: Bridging policy for regional financing Dr. Eko Supeno, Chair of AILG, praised the initiative and emphasized the importance of ISFF in promoting equitable development—especially for children. “UNAIR is committed to making a meaningful contribution through research and policy advocacy,” he said. Also in attendance was Wiwien Apriliani from Indonesia’s National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), who emphasized ISFF’s potential as a planning tool to identify development needs and funding priorities. She noted that East Java is the first province to localize the Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF), originally introduced at the United Nations in 2015. “This ISFF document was first introduced at the UN in 2015, and has since become a vital framework guiding local SDG implementation,” she explained. Tackling stunting and water access challenges UNICEF Indonesia’s Chief of Social Policy, Yoshimi Nishino, pointed out that one in four children in East Java lives in poverty and that 47 percent suffer from stunting. Addressing these issues, she said, will require innovative financing strategies. “We want to drive cross-sector collaboration so that development funding extends beyond government budgets. This includes tapping into private sector investment, philanthropy, and zakat institutions,” she said. UNICEF estimates that achieving the SDGs in East Java by 2030 will require approximately IDR 1,700 trillion. The ISFF document has already identified 17 public and private financing opportunities totaling around IDR 200 trillion. This represents a significant starting point for tackling stunting, expanding access to clean water and sanitation, and improving human development outcomes. Responding to the challenges highlighted by UNICEF, Dr. Tri Wahyu Liswati, Head of East Java’s Office for Women’s Empowerment, Child Protection, and Population (DP3AK), emphasized the strong collaboration between local government and UNICEF in advancing child-focused initiatives. “ISFF reflects our shared commitment with UNICEF to develop accountable and sustainable financing solutions that serve the future of East Java’s children,” she said. Organizers hope this dissemination event serves not just as a ceremonial milestone, but as the first step toward meaningful collective action and long-term investment in children’s futures across East Java.(*)