Indonesia Appointed as Asia-Pacific Region as a Candidate for President of the UN Human Rights Council

Minister of Human Rights Natalius Pigai received support from the Prime Minister of Qatar. (doc Kemenham)

JAKARTA - Indonesia has officially been designated as a nominee for the Asia-Pacific region (Asia-Pacific Group/APG) for the position of President of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UN Human Rights Council) in 2026.

This appointment is an important milestone in Indonesian human rights diplomacy at the global level. This position is considered strategic because the President of the Human Rights Council plays a strategic role in directing the agenda, leading the trial, mediating differences of opinion between countries, and maintaining the credibility and effectiveness of the UN Human Rights Council in addressing global human rights issues.

Indonesia is currently listed as a member of the UN Human Rights Council for the 2024-2026 period, marking Indonesia's sixth membership since the Human Rights Council was established in 2006.

The Ministry of Human Rights views this momentum as a strong foothold for Indonesia to take a step further as a leader in the global architecture of human rights.

Minister of Human Rights Natalius Pigai stated that his party is actively carrying out a measured and friendly diplomatic campaign to a number of key countries.

"This approach is not taken through public rhetoric, but rather the strengthening of bilateral relations, substantive dialogue, and trust consolidation. Official visits to Laos, Australia, Thailand, and Qatar in November-December 2025 are part of this systematic strategy," said Pigai.

He said, this process is dynamic because Thailand also applied as a candidate for the President of the UN Human Rights Council from the Asia-Pacific region.

"Bilateral negotiation efforts have been carried out, but because each country remains in its position, the voting mechanism is the final path," said the Human Rights Minister.

"In addition to formal diplomacy, Indonesia optimizes silent diplomacy through the network of senior diplomats," he continued.

"One of the key figures in this diplomacy is Makarim Wibisono, former Indonesian Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, who actively built support through side meetings with representatives of member states of the Human Rights Council," he said.

One of the important moments occurred in Qatar, when high-level communication was successfully facilitated to involve the Prime Minister of Qatar and representatives of the Asia-Pacific countries through a teleconference, thus strengthening the impression of Indonesia's readiness to lead the Human Rights Council constructively.

As a result, at the Asia-Pacific Group meeting in Geneva on December 23, 2025, Indonesia won 34 votes out of 47 countries present. Thailand received 7 votes, while 4 countries abstained and 2 votes were invalid. With this result, Indonesia was officially designated as a regional nominee.

"This victory is not merely a numerical achievement, but a manifestation of the region's trust in Indonesia's role as a bridge builder - a country that is able to bridge differences in views, advance the human rights agenda in an objective, inclusive, and balanced manner, and prioritize dialogue in the midst of global dynamics that are often polarized," concluded Pigai.

With this determination, Indonesia enters the next phase in the process of electing the President of the UN Human Rights Council 2026, as well as carrying the hope of the Asia-Pacific region to be able to play a credible, inclusive, and constructive leadership role in maintaining dialogue and cooperation on human rights at the global level.