Foreign Minister Retno Invites UN Members To Awaken Global Solidarity

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi while attending the UN DK meeting. (doc the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

JAKARTA - Minister of Foreign Affairs (Menlu) Retno Marsudi invites countries in the world to generate global solidarity. He said this at the 78th Assembly of the United Nations in New York, USA, Saturday, September 23.

The world is currently at a crossroads. The only way to overcome the reduced global trust and inequality is to increase global solidarity and collective responsibility," said Retno in a transcript of his speech delivered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confiscated by Antara.

This call was taken from the core message of the Asia Africa Conference which was held in Bandung, West Java, in 1955. Through the 10 Bandung Principles, Indonesia called on all countries to respect human rights, the UN Charter, sovereignty and regional integrity, equality, resolve conflicts peacefully, and encourage increased cooperation and common interests.

"The spirit of Bandung encourages Indonesia to become a country that can 'turn' it around' and has always been part of the solution," said Retno.

He explained that for Indonesia, global leadership is not only about power or influence to dictate to others. Global leadership is about listening to others, bridging various interests or bridge builder, respecting international law consistently, and respecting all countries equally.

Kembali menyoroti situasi global yang tidak tekrat dengan kepercayaan yang semakin tergerus dan rivalitas antar negara terus menjam, Retno menjelaskan bahwa hal itu telah membatkan negara-negara berkembang dalam memenuhi target Tujuan Pembangunan Berkelanjutan (SDGs).

To that end, he outlined three strategies to rebuild world trust and revive global solidarity.

First, Indonesia urges global collective leadership.

"The world's fate must not be determined by a handful of parties", said Retno.He emphasized that a peaceful, stable, and prosperous world is the right and collective responsibility of the entire country, be it a big or small country, in the north or south, as well as developed countries or developing countries.

The Indonesian Foreign Minister also urged all parties to be able to uphold international law, especially the main principles of sovereignty and regional integrity and ensure that all differences are resolved on the negotiating table, not on the battlefield.

In particular, this collective responsibility is very much needed to save the Palestinian people and Afghanistan.

"It's been too long since we've let our brothers and sisters in Palestine and Afghanistan suffer. Indonesia will not back down a bit for their struggle," said Retno.

Second, Indonesia encourages development for all.

The Indonesian Foreign Minister said that every country has the same right to build and grow. But unfortunately, the current global architecture only benefits a few countries.

He said discriminatory trade policies are still happening, global supply chains are still monopolized, developing countries are still in foreign debt. All of this is a driving factor for the erosion of trust and solidarity.

"This is the time for us to make changes. Downstreaming of industry should not be an exclusive call from developing countries, but must also be supported by developed countries," he said.

Regarding the issue of climate change, Foreign Minister Retno also called on developed countries to fulfill their responsibilities including for climate change financing, green investment, and technology transfer.

As for the issue of technology, he hopes that the latest digital technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) can also be accessed by developing countries, because it is important for their sustainable growth.

Third, Indonesia encourages efforts to strengthen regional cooperation.

Regional institutions should be the main contributor and 'building blocks' for world peace and prosperity, Retno said.

According to Retno, ASEAN is an example of effective regional cooperation and contributes to global peace and prosperity. As chairman of ASEAN this year, Indonesia has successfully navigated ASEAN through geopolitical dynamics that are not easy in the region.

"We will not allow our area to become a field of rivalry. In fact, we have made this area a center of growth, where all countries benefit," said Retno.

He further said that during Indonesia's chairmanship in ASEAN, ASEAN remained united and its centrality was getting stronger.

ASEAN has also started discussing the long-term vision of ASEAN 2045, establishing partnerships with the Pacific Archipelago Forum and the Association of Indian Ocean Ring Countries in order to create a peaceful Indo Pacific region, as well as implementing ASEAN Views of Indo-Pacific into concrete and inclusive cooperation.

Regarding the issue of Myanmar, the Indonesian Foreign Minister emphasized that ASEAN would continue to urge the Myanmar military junta to implement the Five-Point Consensus.

"ASEAN will make every effort to ensure the people of Myanmar are not alone," said Retno.

At the end of her speech, Foreign Minister Retno again emphasized the need for multilateral system reforms that exist today and invited countries to translate their commitments into real action.