President Promises Concrete Initiatives during G20 Leadership

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

The dancers perform a welcome dance at the opening of the G20 Indonesia Presidency at the Banteng Field Park, Jakarta, Wednesday (1/12/2021).

Indonesia has vowed that its leadership of the Group of 20 richest nations will contribute to the world's recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and to climate change action.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has pledged that Indonesia’s presidency of the Group of 20 richest nations will drive concrete initiatives in three key areas, namely inclusive health security, digital transformation and a sustainable energy transition.

"I will see to it that Indonesia's presidency at the G20 is not merely ceremonial. Indonesia will encourage G20 countries to take concrete action," the President said during a speech broadcast by video link at the launch of the Indonesia’s G20 presidency in Jakarta on Wednesday (1/12/2021).

The President said Indonesia would push member-countries to generate major breakthroughs, build collaboration and synergize strength to ensure that the world community could feel positive impacts from the G20.

In order to create a more just world, the President said, Indonesia’s G20 presidency would address the aspirations and interests of developing countries.

He called for world solidarity on climate change and for developed countries to commit to helping developing nations deal with the issue.

“Togetherness in the spirit of solidarity is the key to the future. Indonesia will strive to encourage concrete initiatives in mitigation efforts over the global situation so that it can recover quickly and become strong – recover together, recover stronger," the President said.

The launch ceremony of the Indonesia’s 2022 G20 presidency was held at Banteng Square in Jakarta.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

Minister of Communication and Information Johnny G Plate, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto, Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani and Governor of Bank Indonesia Perry Warjiyo (left to right) while attending the opening of the G20 Indonesia Presidency at the Banteng Field Park, Jakarta, Wednesday (1/12/2021).

Among the attendants were Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Bank Indonesia governor Perry Warjiyo, State Secretary Pratikno, Communications and Information Minister Johnny G Plate, House of Representatives deputy speaker Lodewijk F Paulus, Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) deputy chairman Agus Joko Pramono and Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan.

In his speech, Airlangga said that in assuming the G20 leadership, Indonesia would lead the mission to bring the world out of the crisis to become better and more resilient. The mission, he said, would require a transformation of the global way of working, a change in mindsets and business models, as well as initiatives to capitalize on every opportunity amid worldwide impacts from the pandemic.

He hailed the G20 presidency as a chance for the government to open citizens’ perspectives and instill pride, especially in the younger generation. It was an opportunity to show them that Indonesia was a big nation that deserved to be reckoned with by other nations, especially from an economic perspective.

"Indonesia will use the G20 Presidency to strive for the aspirations and interests of developing countries in order to create a just world," he said.

Vision 2045

At the World Indonesianist Congress 2021 on Wednesday (1/12), Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi emphasized that Indonesia’s G20 presidency was aligned with the agenda for the country’s 2045 vision.

“The 2045 vision’s agenda happens to be aligned with the G20 agenda under Indonesia’s leadership," she said.

The 2045 vision, prepared by the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), carries a far-reaching development road map until Indonesia celebrates its 100th anniversary of independence.

While the Covid-19 pandemic, which had broken out by the time the road map had been drawn up, has posed a huge challenge, the 2045 vision puts health security and resilience first of the agenda, which according to Retno, is in line with the first agenda item of the G20 presidency, namely strengthening the global health architecture.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

The launch of the official website G20.org also marked the opening of the G20 Indonesia Presidency at Banteng Field Park, Jakarta, Wednesday (1/12/2021).

Similarly, the second priority agenda item of the 2045 vision, namely sustainable and environmentally friendly development, coincides with the third agenda item of the G20 presidency, namely the energy transition.

“The transition to new and renewable energy is quite expensive and requires special expertise. Therefore, investment in, and the transfer of, environmentally friendly and affordable technology is very important. Developed countries must realize their commitment to increasing their contributions," he said. (CAS/DIM/RAZ/BEN)

(This article was translated by Musthofid).