More than 100 heads of state or government and ministers participated in
the 67th UN General Assembly’s general debate last week, conveying messages on
pressing issues, such as UN reform, intolerance and insecurity.
To understand more about what
challenges are ahead for Indonesia, The Jakarta Post’s Yohanna Ririhena spoke
with Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa. Below are the excerpts:
Question: At the
General Assembly’s general debate, leaders underscored the need for UN reform.
How far has the world body been responding to this call?
Answer: UN reform is a
process. Reform is not an event, but a continuing process that comprises
several elements. Attention for UN reform should be put mainly to the Security
Council (UNSC), that doesn’t reflect today’s world constellation. There has
been much criticism to the UN body.
Besides UNSC, reform should also
be addressed to the General Assembly and ECOSOC (the Economic and Social
Council).
The General Assembly should
revitalize its working method, addressing how to make the assembly more
effective and efficient in responding to global development, since it is the
moral voice of the UN. While ECOSOC has to be optimized to take the role as
“security council” in social economy. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also
generated the need to reform the UN secretariat. So, reform is a continuing and
sustaining theme.
How has Indonesia contributed to
the UN as a multilateral institution?
Multilateralism is the DNA of
Indonesian foreign policy. From the early years of its independence, Indonesia
was brave enough to conduct a multilateral forum, namely the Asia-Africa
Conference in 1955. Now, Indonesia’s presence has been seen at every UN level,
from high-level panels, environment, nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear
terrorism to sustainable development. We are firing on all cylinders, making every
possible effort, including the delivery of our message on religion blasphemy.
Our proposal, to call on UN member states to adopt an international instrument
to prevent such “blasphemous acts” from reoccurring, will be made concrete.
How can Indonesia reach out to
countries differing with its stance?
Although initiatives are
undertaken by states at the UN and other forums, the debate failed to produce a
result because the issue has been polarized into two extreme positions; freedom
of expression and religion blasphemy.
Indonesia would like to present
an approach that is not choosing an option, but to come up with a unity that
can be synchronized with our point of view, bringing together polarized
mind-sets.
In the short term, we will see
responses from other countries, review the results and prepare a road map.
Through diplomatic efforts, we
are applying a bridge-building approach. Instead of sharpening or widening
differences, it would be better to change from within.
Given the efforts that have been
made, do you see RI’s posture increasing globally?
Our international standing has
increased. But, it is not taken for granted, we have achieved this through
hard-work. You see evident in the general debate that we, all 193 UN members,
feel important. However, our role and contribution are not merely proclaimed or
delivered through speeches. Our presence should be noticeable through
intellectual leadership, galvanizing our ability to raise a smart and
enlightened vision, in line with our ability to reach consensus. We have to
find the common ground, overlapping interests with other nations, and that is
about partnership.
There are host of problems
besetting the world from food insecurity to wars in Syria and Palestine, what
is needed for Indonesia to step ahead?
Certain basic approaches should
be applied in seeking solutions to whatever conflicts the world faces. Conflict
resolution talks on diplomacy, not the use of force. In a precarious world,
with Palestine and the Middle East, problems still persist but then comes
another problem, like Syria. We are faced with the task of how to unravel the
web.
Our first responsibility is in
our immediate region. We have to ensure our region is clean, peaceful and
secure. It is a mammoth task, as we need to think simultaneously, how do we
clean up domestic problems while seeking solutions for regional and global
issues?
We have to maintain regional and
global efforts so it will not threaten our domestic interests. It needs a
convergence of our national, regional and global interests.
In our meeting with the UN
secretary-general, how ASEAN has been a key contributor to world peace and
security was discussed. ASEAN is not absent from problems but ASEAN comes up
with its own solutions, highlighting that the region is not a burden for
international community.
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