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Ex-foreign minister Retno becomes one of first SUAR award recipients

Former foreign minister Retno LP Marsudi, who currently is the UN secretary-general’s special envoy on water, has received an award from SUAR, a business news site established a year ago, in the first edition of SUAR Prize.

News Desk (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Thu, August 27, 2026

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Editor-in-chief of SUAR.id, Sutta Dharmasaputra, presents the SUAR Prize to Retno LP Marsudi, former foreign minister who currently serves as special envoy on water to UN secretary-general, on Aug. 21 at the SUAR Forum in Tangerang, Banten. Editor-in-chief of SUAR.id, Sutta Dharmasaputra, presents the SUAR Prize to Retno LP Marsudi, former foreign minister who currently serves as special envoy on water to UN secretary-general, on Aug. 21 at the SUAR Forum in Tangerang, Banten. (SUAR/-)

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ormer foreign minister Retno LP Marsudi, who currently is the United Nations secretary-general’s special envoy on water, has received an award from SUAR, a business news site established a year ago, in the first edition of the SUAR Prize.

The award was presented to Retno as acknowledgment of her work as policymaker at an event on Friday night in Tangerang on the outskirts of Jakarta, and to another recipient: former Bank Central Asia (BCA) president director Jahja Setiaatmadja for the category of business leader.

“I am honored to be receiving the first SUAR Prize for the category of policymaker,” Retno said on Instagram on Saturday.

“Leadership carries power. [...] But most importantly, it carries responsibility,” she added, citing her acceptance speech at Friday’s award event.

Retno was a career diplomat who made Indonesian history as the first female foreign minister from 2014 to 2024. She led the country’s diplomatic corps through dozens of events, including its G20 chairmanship in 2022, and voiced the country's concerns on issues such as the rights of developing nations, the climate crisis and a more inclusive world order at the UN.

Retno was also known for her persistent assertion of Indonesia’s stance against Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory, calling for a permanent ceasefire and global recognition of Palestinian statehood at numerous international forums.

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In 2017, she received the Agent of Change award from the UN Women and the Global Partnership Forum (GPF) for her work in promoting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as well as the handling of some global issues through humanity and peace diplomacy. UN Women and the GPF said at the time that Retno, as the first female foreign minister in Indonesia, was a role model and an inspiration for millions of women in Indonesia and the world.

She currently plays a role at the UN as the special envoy on water to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, following her appointment in late 2024.

Founder and editor-in-chief of SUAR.id, Sutta Dharmasaputra, said the SUAR Prize honors leadership skills and contributions to creating solutions and driving sustainable development in the country, as reported by the digital news platform.

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