President Jokowi: The Effectiveness Of ASEAN And UN Work Is Often Constrained By Geopolitical Dynamics

President Jokowi opened the ASEAN-PBB Summit. (Source: Screenshot of the YouTube channel of the Presidential Secretariat)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo reminded ASEAN and the United Nations that they have a clear choice to continue to voice respect for international law, saying the work of both parties was often hampered by geopolitical conditions, when opening the 13th ASEAN-PBB Summit with the Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres, Thursday.

Calling the similarity of the opening of the ASEAN and UN Charter which makes the people a priority, President Jokowi said the people were actually the ones who felt the most impact of increasingly complex world challenges, wars and conflicts, food crises, energy crises, financial crises and natural disasters that are currently happening.

To deal with it, continued President Jokowi, a coordinated joint action is needed, both at the global level run by the United Nations, as well as at the Indo-Pacific area level run by ASEAN.

"However, we must honestly say, the effectiveness of ASEAN and PBB's work is often constrained by geopolitical dynamics which ultimately results in the loss of the spirit of cooperation, the fading of the spirit of multilateralism, and is replaced by rule by the strong," said President Jokowi, Thursday, September 7.

He said ASEAN and the United Nations had a clear choice to continue to consistently voice respect for international law, as the basis for interaction between nations and an inclusive collaboration paradigm.

"Let's together carry a fairer development agenda for developing countries, including the right to progress and to prosper," said President Jokowi.

"We must reform global governance, so that it remains fit for purpose and fit for its time. Let's strengthen cooperation between ASEAN and the United Nations for the good of the people in the world," said President Jokowi.

Meanwhile, the Secretary-General of the United Nations praised the UN-ASEAN partnership as very important, appreciating ASEAN's role in maintaining unity.

"ASEAN-PBB comprehensive partnerships are more important than anything else. ASEAN plays a very important role," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Previously, the Secretary General of the United Nations in his statement also praised ASEAN and ASEAN member countries for their important role in building bridge understanding.

"ASEAN has become an important factor for unity in a divided world. And we need this more than ever, in a world that is increasingly multipolar and needs strong multilateral institutions to follow it based on equality, solidarity and universality," said the Secretary General of the United Nations.