Explanation from Foreign Minister Sugiono about the Rp16 Trillion Membership Fee of the Trump-Founded Board of Peace

JAKARTA - Foreign Minister Sugiono emphasized that the Board of Peace (Dewan Perdamaian) is an international initiative that has emerged to create peace in Gaza, Palestine.

Indonesia previously decided to participate in the Peace Council at a meeting held in Davos, Switzerland.

Foreign Minister Sugiono said the move was a concrete and realistic action that Indonesia could take with other countries to ensure that the Peace Council continued to run in accordance with its main purpose.

Sugiono also explained the contribution of funds from member countries to the Peace Council by paying more than 1 billion US dollars (Rp. 16.7 trillion).

He stated that there was no obligation for member countries to pay the funds to the Peace Council, stressing that invited countries could become members of the Peace Council for three years.

"So if (one country) participates (pays funds), it means that he (the member) is permanent," said Sugiono without further explaining whether Indonesia would contribute funds to the Peace Council, reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, January 27.

Previously, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs through its spokesperson Vahd Nabyl conveyed that the contribution of the funds was voluntary and without the contribution of the funds, it could still be a member of the Peace Council.

The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs conveyed that Indonesia views the Peace Council as only a temporary mechanism to stop violence and protect civilians in Gaza after two years of suffering from Israeli attacks.

It is known that the member countries of the Peace Council get a share of participation for three years since the entry into force of the Charter of the Peace Council, with the possibility of extension by the Chairman of the Council, namely Donald Trump.

The three-year membership limit is waived for member states that contribute more than $1 billion in cash to the Peace Council in the first year since the charter took effect.