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Jokowi’s UN show
Not only did President Jokowi skip yet another chance to speak at the podium of the UN assembly, he also played down the urgency of highlighting the protracted crisis in Myanmar.
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President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo remotely addresses the 76th session of the UN General Assembly on Sept. 22, 2021, in New York. (AFP/Eduardo Munoz)
In his prerecorded speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Thursday, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo unveiled his wish list when Indonesia hosts the Group of 20 (G20) summit next year.
Jokowi spent three of his seven minutes on Indonesia’s plans after it takes over the rotating presidency of the G20 from Italy at the end of October of this year. “Recover together, recover stronger” will be the tagline of Indonesia’s tenure.
“Indonesia is striving for the G20 to work for the benefit of all, developed and developing countries, North and South, big and small, archipelagic countries and small island states in the Pacific, as well as vulnerable groups that must be prioritized,” the President said.
Jokowi also addressed the UN assembly in a prerecorded speech last year, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the whole world hard. This year the UN welcomes back face-to-face talks but member states can only send a small delegation as strict health protocols remain in place.
Even before the pandemic, President Jokowi had never attended the UNGA in person, despite the fact that he leads the world’s fourth-most-populous nation, the world’s biggest predominantly Muslim country and the world’s third-largest democracy. With his 10-year presidency ending in October 2024, he still has three more opportunities to turn up for the UNGA, but due to his appetite for pragmatism and economic diplomacy he may give the UNGA a miss in the future.
Not only did President Jokowi skip yet another chance to speak at the podium of the UN assembly, he also played down the urgency of highlighting the protracted crisis in Myanmar, which is on the brink of a civil war and could turn into a new epicenter of security threat to the region. Jokowi did point out the five-point consensus reached between ASEAN leaders and Myanmar’s coup leader Min Aung Hlaing, but clearly the latest development in the field shows the powers that be in Myanmar do not care at all about ASEAN.
Emulating the country’s past presidents, especially Sukarno and Soeharto, during his speech Jokowi portrayed himself as a proponent of the developing world and showed off the progress Indonesia had made under his leadership. Jokowi also expressed his pledge to remove the gap between industrialized and rich nations and the global injustice agricultural and poor countries have endured.
As the fight against COVID-19 has yet to subside while the threats from climate change are imminent, Jokowi called for reorganization and reform of the global health-security architecture that will ensure no one is left behind in the face of the global challenges. In fact, the UNGA has become a forum for developing nations to push for an end to global injustice through the long-sought reform of the UN Security Council, but to no avail because none of the big five is willing to lose its might and privileges.
Failure to attend the crucial annual UN agenda means Jokowi has lost an opportunity to promote Indonesia’s much needed presence in the world, and more importantly to show off the country’s place on the global stage and responsibility that comes with it.
