Indonesia Reaffirms Commitment to Multilateralism at UN General Assembly

JAKARTA - Indonesia has reaffirmed its commitment to be active in multilateral diplomacy through the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia Sugiono at the opening of the 81st General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the United Nations Headquarters, New York, Tuesday (22/9). The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the presence of Foreign Minister Sugiono in the 81st High-Level Week of the UN General Assembly was part of Indonesia's efforts to ensure that national interests and priorities are reflected in the discussion of various global agendas. "The participation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia in the 81st High-Level Week of the United Nations General Assembly confirms Indonesia's commitment to continue to play an active role in multilateral diplomacy and ensure that Indonesia's interests and priorities are reflected in the discussion of various global agendas," the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement received in Jakarta, Wednesday. The 81st General Debate of the UN General Assembly is chaired by the President of the 81st General Assembly of the UN, Khalilur Rahman of Bangladesh. This year's session has the theme "Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations that Delivers for All". The theme emphasizes the importance of restoring confidence in multilateralism while ensuring that the UN is able to respond effectively to changes and various global challenges. In the opening of the General Debate, UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered his last General Debate speech as UN Secretary-General. He highlighted the changing landscape of global power that took place amid conflicts, inequality, climate change, and the development of artificial intelligence. Guterres emphasized that the future will be largely determined by the ability of humans to manage power wisely. According to him, multilateralism and international law are increasingly important to ensure that power is exercised based on common rules and principles. Meanwhile, President of the UN General Assembly Khalilur Rahman stressed the importance of restoring confidence in the UN through reforms and concrete actions. According to him, the UN remains an irreplaceable organization, but must be able to prove that the institution can work effectively and deliver results for the world's people. Indonesia's Priorities at the UN General Assembly In addition to the General Debate, the 81st High-Level Week of the UN General Assembly includes a number of high-level meetings that discuss global strategic issues. Some of these agendas include the right to development, climate action and just transition, sea level rise, preparedness and response to the pandemic, the eradication of racism, and the elimination of nuclear weapons. During the High-Level Week series, Indonesia brought a number of key priorities. One of them is to encourage peace and conflict resolution, especially related to Palestine. Indonesia will also strengthen its role as a bridge-builder or a country that bridges various interests in international diplomacy. In addition, Indonesia encourages UN reform and strengthening the voice of Global South countries, as well as conveying various achievements and national development priorities. The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that Indonesia will continue to encourage a stronger, inclusive, and effective multilateralism. International cooperation is also considered necessary to be directed at concrete solutions to the various challenges faced by the world community. Source: VOI English