Indonesia Elected As Member Of The IOC Executive Council And UNESCO POST Committee

43rd UNESCO General Assembly. (Twitter/@UNESCO)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian delegation brings good news from the 43rd United National Educational, SCeintific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) General Assembly in Samarkand, Uzbekistan which will be held from October 30 to November 13.

A few five important notes were successfully inscribed by the Indonesian delegation in the meeting. First, this time the general assembly became the first stage of Indonesian language to be used as one of UNESCO's official languages.

Next, Indonesia was elected as a member of the UNESCO's MOST (Management of Social Transformations) committee. This program focuses on strengthening the role of social sciences in formulating public policies, bridging academic research with decision makers at the government level.

"Indonesia's membership in the MOST Council strengthens our position as a country that is not only rich culturally, but also serious about developing scientific knowledge-based policies," explained the Indonesian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to France, Andorra, Monaco, and concurrently the Indonesian Permanent Delegation to UNESCO, Mohamad Oemar, as reported by the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Saturday, November 15.

In the realm of marine science, Indonesia was elected as a member of the Executive Board of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oseonography Committee (IOC). This success further confirms Indonesia's important role as a maritime country in marine knowledge and governance.

The next two notes are no less important. The UNESCO General Assembly also confirmed the 400th anniversary of Sheikh Yusuf Al-Mawassari's birth in 2027, as one of the celebrations linked to UNESCO.

Syekh Yusuf Al-Makassari, a great scholar and sufi from South Sulawesi, is widely known not only as a spiritual figure, but also as an anti-colonial fighter and a bridge to civilization between Indonesia and South Africa.

Next, on Indonesia's proposal, UNESCO also adopted a resolution commemorating Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Fitr as a big day in UNESCO. With this resolution, UNESCO will not hold an official meeting on Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

Symbolically, these five achievements: Indonesian language, seats on the MOST committee, recognition of the Syekh Yusuf celebration, recognition of the celebration of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as well as membership of the IOC Executive Council, reflect the face of Indonesia's contribution in the fields of education, science, and communication and culture that intersect with UNESCO's core mandate.

This success shows that Indonesian diplomacy is not only a follower of the agenda at UNESCO, but also forms narratives, contributes to forming global norms, and connects national interests with global interests.