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ndonesia is set to join hands with global players to advance efforts to implement the principles of transparency and good governance at the 2017 Asia Pacific Leaders Forum (APLF) on Open Government, to be held on Thursday.

The one-day forum, which adopted the theme of “Open Government for Inclusive Development” and is to be hosted by Indonesia, will gather hundreds of heads of state, ministers, local government officials, civil society groups and development partners to share best practices and innovative ways to advance open government.

Delegates from 14 Asia-Pacific member countries of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) and four non-member countries would highlight the importance of transparency and public engagement to ensure inclusive development, said Yanuar Nugroho, deputy to the Presidential Chief of Staff (KSP).

“In addition to reaffirming the commitment of OGP members in Asia Pacific, [the APLF] aims to mainstream open government as the key to answering development challenges in the region,” Yanuar told the press
on Tuesday.

The main theme of inclusive development, which emphasized the importance of collaborating with civil society groups, was among the nine key programs (Nawacita) of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s administration, he said.

Citing the President’s words, Yanuar added that transparency was the only way to realize an accountable and reliable government that involved citizen participation, which could subsequently increase public trust in the government and eradicate corruption.

Indonesia was one of eight countries who initiated the establishment of the OGP in 2011.

Since then, the multilateral platform has brought together 75 countries that are committed to strengthening openness and public participation to realize good governance.

This year’s APLF, which is spearheaded by the national secretariat of Open Government Indonesia (OGI), will be the second forum hosted by Indonesia following the 2014 Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Open Government in Bali.

Indonesia also aimed to get foreign political support to win a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for 2019 and 2020, Yanuar added.

The focus of discussion this year will cover poverty eradication and economic growth, trust building and public integrity, public service delivery for an inclusive government and the role of the government in environmental sustainability.

Prominent speakers will include (National Development Planning) Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro, Afghanistan Second Vice President Mohammad Sarwar Danesh, Kyrgyztan Vice Prime Minister Cholpon Sultanbekova and Georgia Minister of Justice Thea Tsulukani.

Besides inclusive development, the roundtable sessions will also discuss the importance of open government for accountability, which will feature Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) commissioner Laode M. Syarif as speaker.