A small fishing boat sails on the waters near the New Priok Container Terminal One (NPCT1) in Cilincing, Jakarta, on Aug. 20, 2024.

A stabilizing force in turbulent times

Only consistent action on multiple fronts can maintain public trust and secure sustainable economic growth to benefit all of society.

21 hours ago

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Happy birthday, Polri: Does the ideal police officer exist?

The 79th anniversary of the National Police offers a moment to reflect and introspect on the foundational values and principles of the policing institution as prescribed in the oaths officers take as members of Bhayangkara, or "vigilant quiescant" in Latin. ...

23 hours ago

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Evaluating Indonesia’s digital competition policy

At the center of this debate lies a fundamental question: Is Indonesia prepared to regulate competition in the digital economy effectively? ...

1 day ago

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Hendra feeds fish in his small house in Jembatan Besi, Tambora, West Jakarta, on April 17, 2024 while his wife is folding clothes on the bed, behind the cupboard. People who reside in densely populated settlements live with limited space.

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Housing policy: Shrinking homes means shrinking dignity

The tiny house initiative risk repeating past mistakes: creating soulless settlements, overcrowded neighborhoods and units that exist on paper but fail to function in reality.

1 day ago

A video is displayed during the opening session of the second Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit in New York City, the United States, on Sept. 18, 2023, ahead of the 78th UN General Assembly.

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Can AI offer the SDGs a lifeline?

With the global sustainability agenda critically behind schedule, a new AI-powered platform offers a novel approach to accelerating progress.

22 hours ago

A group of young Buddhist monks and children sit at the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple on the border between Thailand and Cambodia on Feb. 8, 2011.

Academia

Why the ARF cannot intervene in the Thai-Cambodian dispute

The ARF functions as a dialogue platform for confidence-building and preventive diplomacy, not as an adjudicator or crisis manager in emotionally charged bilateral rows.

1 day ago

Leaders of ASEAN and its strategic partners are seen on a screen as they attend the fourth Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Summit as part of the 37th ASEAN Summit held online from Hanoi on Nov. 15, 2020.

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Reinvigorating the RCEP for a stable and prosperous Asia-Pacific

Despite its monumental scope and profound promise, the RCEP's full potential remains largely untapped.

2 days ago

Fireworks explode around police officers in riot gear during a protest in response to federal immigration operations in the Little Tokyo neighborhood of downtown Los Angeles, the United States, on June 9.

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A democratic reckoning for global development finance

Far-right populism, geopolitical tensions and climate indifference have weakened the multilateral order.

2 days ago

President Prabowo Subianto (right) talks to his ministers during a limited cabinet meeting at his private residence in Hambalang, Bogor regency, West Java, on June 23.

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Stop buying time, Mr. President. Shake up the cabinet

President Prabowo Subianto should have embraced meritocracy, appointing the most capable Indonesians regardless of political debt or personal loyalty.

2 days ago

Trucks line up at Tanjung Priok container terminal in North Jakarta on Dec. 7, 2023, as ships are loaded and unloaded.

Academia

How ASEAN can thrive through innovation and collaboration

As AI advances, ASEAN has a clear opportunity to move up the value chain, with member states offering incentives to attract higher-value semiconductor investment.

1 day ago

People line up during a tuberculosis screening at a health centre in Valenzuela, the Philippines, on March 14, 2024.

Academia

Southeast Asia’s push to eliminate tuberculosis

Given the severity of the issue, ASEAN's regional action plan, established in 2018, to eliminate tuberculosis by 2035, is ambitious.

1 day ago

A journalist takes a photo on April 16, 2025, in the kitchen of a Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG), the formal designation for vendors of the free nutritious meal program, in Kalibata, South Jakarta.

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Six months on, the free meals program is a work in progress

Challenges in implementation are to be expected in the nascent stages of any government intervention, especially in a country as geographically vast and varied as Indonesia. The key is to build upon their lessons, bit by bit, to ensure a strong foundation for sustainable delivery and development.

1 day ago

A screen capture of the new concept of Jakarta's giant sea wall, now called outer sea dike, from a government document dated May 2019.

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You can move the capital, but can’t replace Jakarta

For a long time, Jakarta has been Indonesia’s economic powerhouse, hosting over 70 percent of the country’s monetary circulation and contributing more than 17 percent to the national GDP.

3 days ago

Patients line up to wait for medicine on May 14, 2024, from the pharmacy at Yarsi General Hospital in Pontianak, West Kalimantan.

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Health insurance co-payment policy: Shooting fish in a barrel

Imports and health equipment procurement are widely known as some of the most corrupt sectors in the country.

4 days ago

Academia

Strengthening religious tolerance: A lesson from Uzbekistan

The “New Uzbekistan” 2022–2026 strategy prioritizes interethnic harmony and youth education.

4 days ago

Representatives of the Awyu and Moi indigenous communities protest in front of the Supreme Court building in Jakarta on May 27, 2024. They were calling for the country’s highest court to revoke the permits of palm oil companies that are set to operate in Papua, which could potentially clear approximately 300 square kilometers of customary forest.

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How peace underpins forests, food, health and SDGs

In conflict-affected or neglected regions, health systems are underfunded, surveillance is inadequate, and public outreach is minimal.

4 days ago

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Insight: Innovations in managing and developing human capital

Over the past few years, the role of human resources (HR) has expanded far beyond administrative tasks. HR professionals today are expected to drive innovation, enhance the employee experience and align people strategies with business goals. With the help of technology, these responsibilities have become more manageable, and in many ways, more impactful.

4 days ago

Boosting bilateral cooperation: Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) and President Prabowo Subianto attend a welcome ceremony on Nov. 9, 2024, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

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Visiting China never been easier with new facilitation measures for Indonesians

The five-year multiple-entry “ASEAN Visa” allows a stay of up to 180 days per visit, while the 240-hour visa-free transit policy enables Indonesian citizens to enter China visa-free when transiting to a third country or region.

5 days ago

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Danantara and the discipline to let go

Danantara must resist passing out unconditional loans left and right lest it turns into a bailout fund for failing SOEs, and instead look to maintaining its commercial posture and stand as a catalyst for reform by rewarding discipline through capital injections.

6 days ago

Voices of reason: Demonstrators gather outside the Wilshire Federal Building during a rally opposing the United States' strikes on Iran on June 22, in Los Angeles, California, the US.

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Iran and the end of the old multilateralism

Existing institutions, especially those built on the idea of “the West”, no longer matter.

6 days ago

Demonstrators hold placards reading “revoke all nickel mining permits in Raja Ampat immediately“ during a protest march to the Southwest Papua governor's office in Sorong on June 10, 2025.

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When referee becomes player: Conflicts of interest in Indonesia’s nickel rush

Several ministers, provincial leaders and political elites are known to have deep financial ties to nickel mining interests.

6 days ago

A vendor looks at his mobile phone while waiting for frozen squid to defrost in Muara Baru Modern Fish Market in Penjaringan, North Jakarta, on, Sept. 14 2019.

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Mitigation for the fisheries sector in Trump 2.0

The main issues hindering exports and weakening the competitiveness of Indonesian fishery products must be comprehensively mapped, and lessons should be learned from other countries.

5 days ago

Iranians check an Iranian Red Crescent ambulance that was destroyed during an Israeli strike, displayed in Tehran on June 23,2025.

Academia

Giving a culture of peace a chance in the Middle East

One of the weaknesses of the Middle Eastern region is that they do not have a functional regional and sub-regional organization and/or framework.

5 days ago

Two health workers attend to a patient on April 29, 2025, at Bali International Hospital in the Sanur Health & Wellness Tourism Special Economic Zone in Denpasar.

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Medical tourism in Indonesia: Can it become a reality?

While it has at least two SEZs for medical tourism, the country still has a long way to go to develop international-standard healthcare infrastructure and the related capacities necessary to maintain it, including human resources, to become a preferred destination among medical tourists.

5 days ago

Academia

The global problem of over tourism, and why Bali is at a tipping point

From the canals of Venice to the temples of Kyoto, over tourism is choking some of the world’s most beloved destinations. Crowded streets, environmental damage and frustrated locals are now common symptoms of a tourist sector growing beyond its limits.

6 days ago