O

ur world continues to be replete with challenges: of political and military tensions and conflicts — as well as the threats of nuclear weapons; of threats such as acts of piracy and terrorism; of financial and economic crises, and worst and more fundamentally, in many corners of the world, of abject poverty and hunger; of environmental threats and natural disasters, of energy and food insecurity; of intolerance and discrimination, of authoritarian regimes bent on suppressing the clamor for democracy and respect for human rights.

Waging peace and development in the Middle East must first and foremost entail the correction of an historic injustice which has been allowed for too long [to plague] the people of Palestine.

Indonesia’s support for the legitimate aspirations and rights of the people of Palestine — to live in freedom, peace, justice and dignity in their own homeland — has been steadfast and will continue unabated.

Indonesia strongly supports Palestine’s present quest for full membership in the United Nations. Such membership is consistent with the vision of a two-state solution and a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.

The recent heightened world-wide focus on the issue of Palestine can and must be channeled in a constructive way: towards the promotion of an inclusive partnership among nations — one that leads to the fulfillment of the historic responsibilities shouldered by our United Nations.

The continued denial of the most basic rights of the Palestinian people becomes all the more glaring in the face of the welcomed democratic transformation that is underway in parts of North Africa and the Middle East. Indonesia has been deeply concerned by the untold losses and casualties suffered by innocent civilians. This bloodshed and the use of force must be brought to an immediate end.

Ultimately, political solutions must be found. Conditions conducive for people to shape their own future must be promoted. In Libya for example, Indonesia supports the Transitional National Council in its efforts to promote a peaceful and democratic transition.

A decade or so ago, Indonesia, too, went through a tumultuous process of democratic change. Today, as the third-largest democracy, Indonesia is reaping the democratic dividends of such change. That is why we believe that political development and democratization should constitute a priority item on our agenda.

That is why we took the initiative of launching the Bali Democracy Forum – the only inter-governmental forum for sharing of experience and cooperation in political development in Asia. Global partnership is particularly key in addressing the challenges of development.

We must thus act in concert and in a focused and sustainable way to ensure food security for the most vulnerable. It means increased investments in the agricultural sector, and research and development and increased production as well as productivity.

Achieving food security also requires that we confront the reality of climate change. The international community must find the political commitment to generate momentum for climate change and momentum towards a new climate regime post-2012.

The forthcoming 17th Conference of Parties in Durban and the Rio+20 Summit in Brazil next year must deliver. In the face of that challenge, we must take bold measures. Reform of international financial and economic governance must be expedited. Enhanced coordination of national economic policies is essential. We must learn to step out of our comfort zone and address these critical needs in concert.

As the emerging economies now serve as important engine of global economic growth, they must now have greater opportunity to contribute in promoting solutions.

For a start, since these challenges defy national solutions, they can at the same time motivate countries to strike partnerships and cooperations. Allow me to highlight two basic points in this regard.

First, we need to strengthen multilateralism to address global challenges. That means the central role of the United Nations.

To be able to address new and emerging challenges and to identify new opportunities, the full support and reform of the United Nations is key. That is the only way the United Nations can remain relevant and the only way to ensure that multilateralism will flourish.

Through reform, we must ensure that the United Nations and its decision-making processes are more effective, efficient, transparent and inclusive.

We must persevere in strengthening the General Assembly, the ECOSOC and their subsidiary organs, as well as the Human Rights Council. We must support the Peace Building Commission as it helps countries emerging from conflict.

The Security Council must better reflect the current world situation. It should become more representative, transparent and effective.

Second, cooperation and partnership between the United Nations and regional organizations are key in addressing today’s global challenges. There should be synergy between global and regional efforts.

In Southeast Asia, as chair of ASEAN, Indonesia has worked ceaselessly to develop the region’s capacity to prevent and manage potential conflicts, and to resolve them. Our efforts have been focused not only in the further development of ASEAN’s conflict prevention and resolution mechanisms, rather also in developing and nurturing the necessary comfort level among ASEAN member states to resort to them.

As a result, we expect that Southeast Asia will remain as a net contributor to international peace and security; as well, to economic development and prosperity.

Indeed, beyond its own sub-region, anchored by a strong ASEAN Community we are set to achieve by 2015, ASEAN continues to be the driving force in promoting an Asia-Pacific wide regional architecture which is conducive for the maintenance regional peace and stability - precisely the kind of conditions that have enabled countries in the region to pursue a development path uninterrupted by wars and conflicts.

In the current regional setting, we in Indonesia describe this as being conditions marked by a dynamic equilibrium. Where preponderant power is absent not by the promotion of bloc politics and often self-fulfilling geopolitical fault lines; rather, a new kind of international relations with its emphasis on common security, common prosperity and common stability.

As ASEAN attains its community and continues its central role in maintaining a stable and peaceful environment in the Asia-Pacific region, it is setting for itself a new challenge and vision: to develop greater cohesion and common platform on global issues. An ASEAN that is a net contributor for the solution of many of the world’s ills and challenges.

The author is the Foreign Affairs Minister. This article is abridged from a speech he delivered at the General Debate of the 66th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Sept. 26, 2011.