Jakarta (ANTARA) - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has praised Indonesia as a key pillar of multilateralism, citing its contributions to global development and UN peacekeeping operations worldwide.
“Indonesia is a pillar of multilateralism. It continues to shape international cooperation across the Asia-Pacific and the broader Global South,” Guterres said Monday at the Foreign Policy Circle Talks in Jakarta.
He said Indonesia demonstrated diplomatic leadership a decade after independence by hosting the 1955 Asian-African Conference in Bandung, where newly independent nations championed non-alignment and self-determination.
“The Global South was born that day,” he said.
Since then, Indonesia has played an active role in multilateral forums, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Group of 20, the Developing Eight (D-8), BRICS, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the United Nations.
Guterres praised Indonesia’s role in strengthening cooperation between ASEAN and the UN on conflict prevention, sustainable development and human rights.
“You are a recognized and respected diplomatic bridge-builder at the UN and beyond,” he said.
He also highlighted Indonesia’s contribution to UN peacekeeping, with nearly 2,000 Indonesian military and police personnel serving in seven missions worldwide.
Guterres praised Indonesia’s peacekeeping readiness after visiting the Indonesian military’s Peacekeeping Mission Center in Sentul, Bogor, West Java, where personnel undergo intensive pre-deployment training.
“This gives us the assurance that Indonesian peacekeepers will be a fundamental pillar of peacekeeping missions worldwide,” he said.
During his visit to Sentul, Guterres met Indonesian personnel preparing to deploy to the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).
Guterres said Indonesia’s sustained global engagement had reinforced its role as an indispensable “messenger of peace” and a bridge between North and South, East and West.
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Translator: Nabil Ihsan, Uyu Liman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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