RI Can Offer Alternative Narrative

In the context of ASEAN, Indonesia has shown not only the ability as a chair, but also the capacity as a leader. He hoped the good track record would continue in the G20.

KOMPAS/CYPRIANUS ANTO SAPTOWALYONO

Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Indonesia as the leader of the Group of 20 for 2022 can offer alternative narratives to drive change for a more peaceful, just and sustainable world. In the short term, Indonesia's contribution is expected to help global recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We hope that Indonesia through the G20 presidency can determine the world's direction in the future. Usually it is the G7 that determines the direction of the world going forward. Now with our leadership, Indonesia is expected to determine the future direction. That's the challenge," Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto said in a special interview with Kompas and The Jakarta Post in Jakarta on Friday (14/1/2022).

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While hailing the group’s roles in finding the solution to the world’s 1998 and 2008 economic crises, Airlangga saw the G20 had yet to make an optimal impact in the face of the current problems largely caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. He hoped through the G20 presidency, Indonesia would be able to push the world forward, from pandemic to endemic.

“Elon Musk says we don't forecast the future. We engineer the future,” he said. “Of course, we hope that we can set the forecast, and we hope that Indonesia's leadership in the G20 can be followed up with Indonesia's leadership in ASEAN in 2023," Airlangga said.

Valuable opportunity

Contacted separately, Indonesia’s foreign minister for the 2009-2014 period, Marty Natalegawa, said that the position as chair of the G20 for 2022 and ASEAN for 2023 provided a very valuable opportunity for Indonesia to show both its responsibility and capacity. However, the government will have to prove true leadership because, as he reminded, being a chair does not necessarily deserve the status as “a leader”. “A country can take the position as a chair, but it could be a chair in protocol matters. It shows a good and efficient host, organizing an event smoothly and comfortably before looking to the next agenda that has been set previously," he said.

AFP/BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI

Indonesian President Joko Widodo and German outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel talk before a meeting about the global supply chain, during the G20 Summit at the Roma Convention Center La Nuvola on October 31, 2021, in Rome, Italy.

The question would arise, continued Marty, whether the state's protocol ability was also offset with leadership virtue?

He said Indonesia must prove it had more influencing capacity than the previous presidency.

He elaborated that being a leader Indonesia should be able to influence or even determine the policy framework related to the future. He said Indonesia must prove it had more influencing capacity than the previous presidency.

In the context of ASEAN, according to Marty, Indonesia has shown not only the ability as a chair, but also the capacity as a leader. He hoped the good track record would continue in the G20.

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Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) executive director Yose Rizal Damuri said Indonesia's leadership in the G20 should be able to extend the global agenda, with national interest kept in balance given that the narrative at the global level would also determine the regional and domestic agenda. "For this reason, global governance must be in such a way that it supports domestic development," he said.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

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

Teuku Rezasyah, a lecturer of international relations at Padjadjaran University, pointed out the need to draw up a monthly framework and timeframe, with the G20 Summit in Bali approaching. “Indonesia must be able to synthesize the achievements of the G20 with the world through the mutually agreed strategic issues. This requires solid national leadership that can convince the world,” he said. (LAS/MAR/SUT)

(This article was translated by Musthofid).