Indonesia can be a major world player: Annan

Erwida Maulia , The Jakarta Post | Fri, 03/05/2010 9:24 AM | Headlines

The visiting former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan said that Indonesia, as an emerging economy and the world’s third largest democracy, had the potential to be a major influence on other countries in the way it met development and religious challenges.

“The progress made in the face of many challenges explains why Indonesia is seen as a model from which other countries can learn,” Annan said, adding that extremism, internal conflicts, social inequality and catastrophic natural disasters were among the challenges.

Annan was addressing dozens of high-ranking Indonesian officials in a lecture titled “The Challenge for Leaders in a Multipolar World” at the Presidential Palace.

Annan also underlined the need for reform of many organizations. He said reforms of global institutions “should be stepped up to give a bigger voice” to emerging economies and developing countries.

President Susilo Bambang Yu-dhoyono appeared at the lecture where he expressed hope that the UN would consider making Indonesia a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

Annan did not comment on Yudhoyono’s statement. Instead he discussed other current world issues, especially global warming.

He praised Indonesia’s key role in recent international efforts to combat climate change — an issue Annan discussed in detail.

He underlined the need to save the 16th UN Climate Change Conference in Mexico in December this year from failure to produce a new legally binding treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol in 2012.

“Mr. President, I pay tribute to the role that Indonesia is already playing in bringing the process forward. Climate change must remain a top political priority for all countries,” he said.

“This means raising their level of ambition, educating their public and rebuilding confidence in multilateral process that delivers an agreement that is universal, effective and fair, with climate justice at its heart.”

Under the present structure set out in the UN Charter, the permanent members of the UN Security Council are China, France, Russia, the UK and the US.

Many countries have challenged the charter and sought to have the number of permanent members increased to have other countries have a greater say in maintaining world security.

Yudhoyono said French President Nicolas Sarkozy told him during their meeting in Paris in December last year that Indonesia had the qualifications for the seat.

“Indonesia is the fourth most populous country, the biggest country in Southeast Asia, and has three different cultural roots: Western, Islamic and Eastern,” he said.

Reforms of global institutions ‘should be stepped up to give a bigger voice’ to emerging economies.