OMM Redaksiyası
Palestine remains a “test of our conscience” and of the international system’s ability to uphold its founding principles, Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono said on Saturday, according to Anadolu Agency.
Addressing the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, Sugiono called for respect for sovereignty and an end to colonialism, saying that international law was being clearly violated in Gaza and the West Bank.
“Sovereignty must be respected and colonialism must be brought to an end,” he said.
Indonesia reaffirms support for Palestinian statehood
Sugiono said the situation in the Palestinian territories evoked the period before 1945, before the adoption of the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Geneva Conventions.
“Indonesia knows what it means to struggle against colonialism, to struggle in a world where international law was weak and might was right,” he said.
He linked Indonesia’s historical struggle for independence to its longstanding support for the Palestinian people and their right to determine their own future.
“Indonesia will continue to stand with the Palestinian people until their right to self-determination is fulfilled, and until an independent and sovereign state of Palestine is realized based on the two-state solution, in accordance with international law and internationally agreed parameters,” Sugiono said.
He added that the Palestinian issue was not limited to one region, but tested whether the multilateral system could act when its principles were most needed.
Call for a stronger and more representative UN
Sugiono said Indonesia continued to believe in the United Nations, while stressing that the organization needed to evolve alongside the world it serves.
“The answer to imperfect multilateralism is not less multilateralism,” he said, calling instead for a system that was “more representative, more agile and better able to deliver.”
The foreign minister also announced Indonesia’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for 2029-2030, under the theme “fostering unity, advancing peace.”
He said Indonesia would seek to maintain dialogue, build common ground and promote practical cooperation while respecting the UN Charter.
Referring to President Prabowo Subianto’s remarks from the previous year, Sugiono said: “One thousand friends are too few and an enemy is too many.” He said this approach guided Indonesia’s engagement through ASEAN, the G20, the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, BRICS, MIKTA and the United Nations.
Indonesia highlights peacekeeping and resilience
Sugiono noted that Indonesian peacekeepers had served under the UN flag in Lebanon for nearly two decades.
“UNIFIL may be entering its final chapter, but Indonesia’s commitment does not end with the mission,” he said, referring to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.
He called for greater resilience among countries, regions and international institutions, saying resilience meant not only surviving crises but also retaining the strength to move forward together.
The minister said Indonesia’s resilience was centred on its people, with food and energy security, education, healthcare and economic strength identified as key priorities.
