RETNO LESTARI PRIANSARI MARSUDI, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, said her country cannot “sit back and relax” in the face of the injustice committed against the people of Palestine.  “As I speak now, more than 41,000 people in Gaza have been killed, and the situation in the West Bank and Lebanon is deteriorating,” she stated, adding that, yesterday — while Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in New York — Israel conducted unprecedented massive air attacks on Beirut.  Underscoring the need to pressure Israel to come back to a political solution, she said that the Security Council must act to immediately stop Israel from blatantly violating international law.  The organ’s mandate is to maintain peace, not to maintain and prolong wars or support the perpetrator of atrocities, she asserted, adding that “inaction means complicity”.

As a member of the Human Rights Council, Indonesia continuously calls for inclusive partnerships in addressing global human rights issues. And amidst regional rivalries, Indonesia pioneered the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific as a framework for concrete and inclusive cooperation to embrace, not to contain.  Moreover, her country has demonstrated that global leadership will never be attained through domination and fear.  Calling for “leadership without hegemony”, she stressed that the multilateral system — including the Security Council — should be reformed to amplify the voices of all countries.  Without peace, she added, efforts to attain global goals, such as the SDGs, will remain “a dream without reality”.  Indonesia is committed to contributing to global peace by being one of the largest troop-contributing countries to UN peacekeeping missions, she said, also spotlighting her country’s proactive role in counterterrorism.

Amid rising geopolitical tensions, which significantly impact global supply chains and the development trajectory of the Global South, Indonesia has taken proactive steps, including holding the second Indonesia-Africa Forum, to enhance cooperation in international supply chains and connectivity.  A “winner takes all” or “take it or leave it” mentality should no longer exist when collaboration is the only antidote in addressing the global challenges of today.  Her country also hosted the tenth World Water Forum in 2024, she said, citing water as “a crucial element for shared prosperity”.  Indonesia also continues to work with ASEAN to restore peace and stability in Myanmar through the implementation of the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus to enable the safe and dignified return of the Rohingya refugees.