RI Offers New Global Collaboration Order

KOMPAS/FRANSISCA ROMANA

Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi delivered a speech at the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly at the UN Headquarters in New York, United States, on Monday (26/9/2022).

NEW YORK, KOMPAS — Indonesia has strongly criticizes the behavior of those countries that have continued to compete for world domination, only to exacerbate the unresolved global crises. Indonesia has called on the international community to shift to a new world order promoting collaboration.

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi delivered this statement during the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at UN Headquarters in New York, the United States, in the final session of the general debate on Monday (26/9/2022), which involved each delegate presenting their views.

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Representing Indonesia, Retno delivered her speech at the annual UN General Assembly, which was held in person for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2020 and 2021, when the assembly was held virtually because of the pandemic, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo delivered his speeches via prerecorded video. During Jokowi’s first term, then-vice president Jusuf Kalla always delivered Indonesia’s statements.

On opening her speech, Retno expressed the shared concerns that heads of state and government had voiced over the past week. The global situation was concerning, with the prolonged Covid-19 pandemic, the bleak economic recovery, and the ongoing war.

“Violations of international law have become a habit, only to pursue superficial self-interest. Crisis after crisis has emerged all over the world. History teaches us that this kind of phenomenon can lead to a major war,” said Retno.

This was similar to the current situation.

The period before World War II, she continued, was marked by the Great Depression, the rise of ultranationalism, competition for resources, and competition among major powers. This was similar to the current situation.

"Clearly, we handled the challenge in the wrong way," said Retno.

In her speech, Retno did not mention any country involved in the war in Ukraine, only stressing that the principles of national sovereignty and integrity were nonnegotiable.

Win-win solution

Indonesia has again warned that the behavior of many countries today could lead the world to destruction. “We are divided instead of united. We work individually, not collectively. We continue to focus on words over actions. Are we going to continue on this path? If so, we are headed for disaster,” said Retno.

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Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi

Indonesia thus offered the new paradigm of a win-win solution, not win-lose. This could start with a peaceful resolution to the conflict, echoing President Jokowi’s message during his visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, and Moscow, Russia, which are at war.

After achieving peace, the world could then move towards global recovery. Countries must abandon selfishness, trade discrimination, global supply chain monopoly, and the use of the global economic order to justify the strong and powerful.

“This lesson shaped Indonesia's priorities for the G20 presidency. The world is pinning its hopes on the G20 to be a catalyst for global recovery, especially for developing countries. Don't let the G20 fail," said Retno.

This phenomenon could be seen now through mini multilateral groups consisting of less than five countries, many of which were proxies for big powers.

Apart from the G20, strengthening regional cooperation was absolutely necessary, because post-war architecture in many areas was built solely for the sake of containment and exile. This phenomenon could be seen now through mini multilateral groups consisting of less than five countries, many of which were proxies for big powers.

Therefore, regional organizations like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) refused to be pawns in the new Cold War. This would be Indonesia's priority when it took over the ASEAN of next year.

ASEAN, continued Retno, must be the locomotive of regional peace, stability and prosperity. “ASEAN will continue to take the situation in Myanmar seriously. Indonesia is concerned about the military junta's lack of commitment to implementing the Five-Consensus Points. ASEAN must move forward; it must not be held hostage to the Myanmar situation," said Retno.

This was no different from what the UN had to do. In Indonesia's view, the principle of inclusive involvement should be prioritized as the basic foundation of multilateralism. So, reform was needed within the United Nations to renew the way multilateralism worked.

SALVATORE DI NOLFI/KEYSTONE VIA AP

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres

Earlier, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres underlined the issues that urgently needed global unity. "In a divided world, we need to create a dialogue mechanism to heal that division," he said.

“That is why I underlined the new elements of the Peace Agenda in the Our Common Agenda report. We must commit to making every diplomatic tool a means of resolving disputes, as stated in the United Nations Charter: negotiation, talks, mediation, reconciliation, arbitration and legal settlement," Guterres said.

(This article was translated by Kurniawan Siswo)