Support Transparency in Missile Launches, Indonesia Pushes for Arms Reduction Efforts

JAKARTA - Indonesia supports the initiative of notification before launching ballistic missiles as a form of transparency, but still encourages disarmament efforts.

This was conveyed by officials from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, following the Joint Statement on the Notification of the Launch of Ballistic Missiles led by the United States during the Conference on Disarmament meeting in Geneva, Switzerland on Tuesday (11/8).

Indonesian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson II Vahd Nabyl A. Mulachela said Indonesia considered the joint statement in the context of confidance building measures, (initial steps to build mutual trust and reduce mutual suspicions between countries).

"We are looking at the joint statement that was produced from the meeting on the 11th in terms of providing confidence building and encouraging countries to strengthen the practice of early notification, especially in the launch of long-range missiles such as ICBMs, SLBMs and SLVs," he explained in a press statement in Jakarta, Thursday (13/8).

As previously reported, a coalition of 41 countries has called on nuclear-armed states to strictly adhere to early notification protocols regarding long-range ballistic missile tests, warning that launches without notification endanger regional peace and global security.

In a joint statement delivered at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, Switzerland and released by the US Mission to International Organizations on Tuesday, the signatory parties highlighted growing concerns about missile proliferation and urged compliance with transparency mechanisms, in particular the Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCOC).

"Conducting a nuclear-capable ballistic missile test without prior notification and adequate details is a dangerous act and disturbs the peace and security of countries located near the test site," the statement read, quoted by Anadolu.

The joint statement was signed by the United States, Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Palau, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, South Korea, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

"Indonesia supports this initial notification initiative, because it encourages transparency and confidence-building measures, reduces the risk of misperception and miscalculation because this is related to quite large weapons," explained Nabyl.

"We want the efforts to strengthen the transparency of this missile launch to be placed in a context that is not narrow, but wider in the effort to reduce weapons," he continued.

"The Conference on Disarmament has an important mandate to encourage progress in disarmament, stop the nuclear arms race and implement the commitments and obligations of disarmament by nuclear-weapon states," Nabyl said.

The signatories of the joint statement specifically urge nuclear-weapon states that launch intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), ballistic missiles launched from submarines (SLBM), and space launch vehicles (SLV) to provide notification at least 24 hours in advance.

Such notifications should include the missile class, launch time, launch area, and planned trajectory, as well as clear warnings for sailors and aviators.

It is known that Indonesia is a member of the Conference on Disarmament but not a member of the International Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation or the Hague Code of Conduct (HCOC).

The Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sugiono, in the "High-Level Segment of the Conference on Disarmament 2026" in Geneva, Switzerland, in February, emphasized Indonesia's commitment to multilateral disarmament as a pillar of peace and security, when global disarmament was considered to have regressed.

The Conference on Disarmament (CD) is the only multilateral forum mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to negotiate key treaties related to disarmament.

The membership of the CD consists of 65 countries, namely 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council and 60 countries with significant military capabilities, including Indonesia.