PERTANIKA JOURNAL OF TROPICAL AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE

The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is one of the pillars of the ASEAN Community. AEC goal is regional economic integration by 2015. AEC envisages the following key characteristics: (a) a single market and production base, (b) a highly competitive economic region, (c) a region of equitable economic development, and (d) a region fully integrated into the global economy. Yogyakarta is a city in Indonesia where many citizens are involved in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Based on the data obtained from the Department of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives Bureau of Yogyakarta, in 2015 there were 230,047 SMEs. The fierce competition from the single market will have an impact on the survival of the SMEs. The Indonesian government ratified the ICESCR into ICESCR Ratification Act 2005. The government has a binding obligation to take various measures "to respect", "to protect" and "to fulfil" human rights towards SMEs in Yogyakarta.