Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Jakarta today:
Salamat Siang.
It is a pleasure to be back in Indonesia. But this visit has a special meaning. It is a visit of gratitude, and appreciation. Gratitude for what has been the constant policy during these last 10 years of Indonesia in support of the UN, and in support of multilateralism.
And appreciation for what is an independent policy of Indonesia that made this country a messenger for peace and a bridge-builder between North and South, East and West, and made Indonesia a fundamental pillar of the inevitable multipolar world that we all want to help to build.
It is a pleasure to be back in Indonesia. My connection to this wonderful country stretches back many years. Indonesia is a place I have come to know and greatly admire.
Even as a tourist, I will never forget traveling from Lake Toba to Nias to Padang, from Jakarta to Yogyakarta to Mount Bromo, from Bali to Sulawesi to Flores. This is indeed a country I love.
Indonesia is a centre of cultural diversity and civilization in South-East Asia. Yours is a story of resilience. A story of a brave struggle for freedom — Revolusi — becoming the first country to declare independence in the wake of the Second World War.
Indonesia’s struggle inspired similar movements in Africa and Asia. Look no further than the landmark Bandung Conference in 1955, which brought together newly independent countries in partnership and cooperation.
The Global South was born that day. Ultimately, Indonesia’s story is a story of peoples coming together to craft the remarkable fabric of the country we see before us.
Today, Indonesia is a pillar of multilateralism. Indonesia continues to play an influential role in shaping international cooperation across the Asia-Pacific and the wider Global South — as a critical member of ASEAN, the G20, the D8, BRICS, APEC and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, among many more, not to forget, of course, the United Nations.
I want to recognize Indonesia’s leadership in helping to forge and strengthen ASEAN-UN ties — a partnership spanning peace and security, development and human rights.
You are a recognized and respected diplomatic bridge-builder at the UN and beyond. A committed peacekeeper, with nearly 2,000 Indonesian women and men serving across seven UN peacekeeping missions around the world.
And I want to thank Indonesia for co-hosting next year’s UN Peacekeeping Ministerial in Jakarta. In was today extremely impressed in my visit to the training centre of peacekeepers that gives us the guarantee that Indonesian Peacekeepers will be a fundamental pillar of peacekeeping missions all over the world.
You are also a champion of the Sustainable Development Goals. An engine of economic growth and transformation. A committed partner for South-South cooperation. A country with a wellspring of youthful energy, with nearly half of Indonesians being under the age of 30.
Indonesia is a home for humanity, as one of the world’s largest democracies with 284 million people from more than 300 ethnic groups calling it home. Indonesia is a living example of “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika” — unity in diversity.
Indonesia’s experience reminds us that cooperation across differences is not merely possible, it is essential. That lesson lies at the heart of multilateralism.
And today, as we confront an era of profound transformation, it is more important than ever. Because the world is changing faster than our ability to respond. The geopolitical landscape is shifting.
Competition among major Powers is intensifying. Conflicts are multiplying. Climate impacts are accelerating, causing massive devastation and displacement, risking water, food and health, and threatening nature and wildlife.
Meanwhile, technology is transforming our societies at breathtaking speed. At the same time, inequality continues to deepen — within countries and among them. Trust in institutions is declining.
And many people question whether international cooperation can still deliver solutions to the challenges they face in their daily lives. Those concerns are understandable.
But the answer to deepening frustration with multilateralism is not less multilateralism. It is better multilateralism. More effective, more representative, more equipped to deliver.
The founders of the United Nations understood that our common future depends on our common action. Yet today’s realities differ enormously from those of 1945. Here in Indonesia this is in full view.
Indonesia is a striking example of the rising power, influence and economic importance of emerging economies in an increasingly multipolar world.
Every day, the share of global GDP held by the G7 and other developed economies shrinks. Every day, emerging economies grow — in size, in strength, in influence. Every day, South-South trade pulls further ahead of North-North trade.
And yet the growth, influence and aspirations of emerging economies like Indonesia are not fully reflected in global institutions. That has consequences.
We see countries desperate to develop — but held back by insufficient long-term and concessional financing and the high cost of debt. We see a global financial architecture that is not adequately supporting or representing developing countries. It was created by rich countries to support the interest of rich countries.
We see rising trade barriers that penalize developing countries and hamper their ability to grow their economies and invest in the systems their people require. We see people struggling to access basic human rights and needs — from food, healthcare and education, to nutrition, water and sanitation.
We see rising temperatures and climate change-related disasters hitting developing economies first and worst — while leaving them with little support to adapt.
We see countries struggle to anticipate risks and build resilience in the face of repeated disasters — floods, earthquakes, rising seas, and as Indonesia knows all too well, the devastation of repeated wildfires and volcanic eruptions.
We see a growing digital divide that threatens to leave countries behind, as digital technology and artificial intelligence develop at a breakneck pace. And we see ferocious conflicts and geopolitical divisions inflicting suffering around the world.
The message is clear. We cannot risk a fragmented world. Instead, we need to work towards a networked multipolarity with multiple centres of power sustained by a dense web of economic, political, social and technological connections.
I see Indonesia as one of the centres of that network. And we must recognize another truth: An increasingly multipolar world requires effective and representative multilateral institutions.
Europe, before the First World War, was multipolar. But there were no multilateral institutions governing the European continent. The result was the First World War.
Looking into multilateral institutions, we must start immediately by the reform of international financial institutions to better reflect the weight of countries and economies in today’s world.
We must start by the Bretton Woods system to guarantee that developing countries have a much larger participation and a much larger influence in the decisions taken.
And we must reform the Security Council. The permanent Members of the Security Council are two Europeans, one North American and one Asian. Is that anything to do with today’s world? Is that a representative body of the reality of today’s world? Obviously not.
The reform of the Security Council is a must if we want to have a multilateral instrument that is effective in peace and security. And today, unfortunately, we see sometimes permanent Members of the Security Council starting themselves wars in disrespect of international law.
That makes the capacity of the UN to promote peace and security in the world extremely limited. At the same time, we need a reform of the ways in which we address interconnected global risks. Indonesia is a critical voice in this effort.
A voice that understands that the interests of developing countries must be heard and respected. Indonesia’s leaders have spoken repeatedly about the need for a multilateralism that is more inclusive, more resilient and more capable of delivering results.
And here in Indonesia, we see your global leadership and national example. Your country’s focus on economic and social resilience is a model for others. From food, water and energy security.
To creating jobs and thriving agricultural and green and blue industrial sectors. To investing in people through healthcare, education and training. To building a competitive, growing economy.
I applaud the Government’s bold ambition to achieve high-income status by 2045. And I am deeply proud of the work that the UN country team is doing together with your Government to help advance your national priorities, address inequalities, and strengthen local development across a vast and diverse archipelago.
Simultaneously, you are unlocking the full potential of Indonesia’s young people through education, training, skilling, entrepreneurship and technological access, including artificial intelligence.
Throughout, we need Indonesia’s powerful example, voice and leadership on the global stage to help renew the multilateral spirit and drive development, peace and justice in people’s lives.
I see four areas where progress is needed when you look into a modern multilateralism.
Let me start with peace. The number of conflicts is growing. Human suffering is deepening. International law is being cast aside. The effects of war are borderless.
We see the impacts from the Middle East to Ukraine to Sudan to Myanmar and to, of course, the horrors in Gaza. I condemn once again the terror attacks by Hamas three years ago. Nothing can justify those abhorrent acts. But nothing can justify what followed for Palestinians in Gaza.
The scale and intensity of the killing — and the sheer level of destruction in such a densely and confined area — are unlike anything I witnessed in my years as Secretary-General. And now the spectre of ethnic cleansing is stalking the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Indonesia has always been on the front lines of defending the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. The peace plan for Gaza must be fully implemented — and we cannot allow the two-State solution to disappear before our eyes.
Ultimately, conflicts are a test of the multilateral system — whether it can uphold the principles of international law, or whether these laws will be ignored. With the support of countries like Indonesia, we can continue working to strengthen the multilateral system for the force of law to prevail over the law of force.
Second — financing for development. Two thirds of the Sustainable Development Goals are lagging. The world is falling short by over $4 trillion a year in the resources developing countries need to deliver on these promises by 2030.
And developing countries face limited fiscal space, crushing debt burdens and skyrocketing energy and food prices. We must advance on last year’s Sevilla Commitment, which set out an ambitious agenda to scale up finance, address debt distress and reform the international financial architecture.
Developing countries should never have to choose between servicing debt and investing in their future. And they should not be denied access to the finance needed to achieve sustainable growth.
Meanwhile, Indonesia is not waiting for reform. You are pioneering innovative finance mechanisms to unlock billions of dollars in private capital for sustainable development.
In a world of scarce resources, every coin counts. Indonesia is showing how public finance can be used as strategic leverage to mobilize private capital for development.
Third — climate. Climate change is accelerating. And vulnerable countries are paying the highest price — from displacement and hunger to instability and economic losses.
Now the world is set to breach the 1.5°C limit in the next few years. We need to make this overshoot as small and short as possible, while protecting people from its impacts.
As the world’s sixth-largest greenhouse gas emitter, Indonesia has a key role to play. We know that accelerating clean energy can power industrialization, create jobs, strengthen energy security and improve competitiveness.
I commend President Prabowo’s 100 gigawatt solar ambition and energy self-sufficiency goals to accelerate the transition.
And the United Nations is working across the ASEAN region through the Global Grids Accelerator to develop and expand grid infrastructure to meet the growing global demand.
But countries need support. Developed countries must keep their promise to provide $300 billion per year to support the transition in developing countries and triple adaptation finance.
It is also essential to provide far greater resources for loss and damage and ensure early warnings for every person. At the same time, Indonesia is home to many of the critical minerals to power the global renewables revolution.
We must ensure, in Indonesia and in many developing countries where, unfortunately, we have a sad history in the past, we must ensure that the countries rich in these minerals retain a far greater share of their economic value, while building local industries and creating decent jobs.
No more plundering, no more exploitation. And throughout, we must safeguard the world’s biodiversity. I have just come from the Biodiversity Summit in Armenia.
I commend Indonesia for all you are doing to protect your extraordinary biological diversity — including forests, seas and peatlands — and strengthen monitoring and enforcement to safeguard this natural heritage for humanity.
Fourth and finally — artificial intelligence. AI can accelerate development and create jobs. But it can also deepen inequalities.
AI must reflect the interests of all humanity and benefit all. And its risks must be managed collectively. I welcome Indonesia’s development of a domestic artificial intelligence framework and national strategy.
Combined with Indonesia’s large, young, tech-savvy population, this will help ensure your country makes the most of emerging new technologies to create jobs and spur economic growth.
These efforts also align with global initiatives to develop the frameworks, principles and institutions that must govern the use of this powerful technology.
The United Nations is the only place for all countries to gather together in search of solutions. We have created in the UN the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI.
And we are now mobilizing the international community to promote a multilateral AI risk management framework. This is multilateralism in action, facing powerful vested interests.
Today, I have touched on some of what makes Indonesia so special. Your remarkable diversity. Your young and dynamic population. The beauty of your landscape. The richness of your culture.
All this forms the vibrant fabric of Indonesian society. And in Indonesia, that rich fabric is more than a metaphor. It is reflected in a unique art form — Indonesian Batik.
It is little wonder that UNESCO designated Indonesian Batik as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Batik is a tradition shaped by many influences — with patterns reflecting encounters across cultures — from Arabic calligraphy and Chinese motifs to European, Japanese, South Asian and Persian influences.
Yet through those encounters, Batik has remained deeply intertwined with Indonesia’s own cultural identity. There is a lesson here for multilateralism. A living pattern cannot be frozen in time.
New lines emerge. New colours find their place. The design grows richer. The same can be said for our world. As new Powers and new challenges arise, our institutions must make room for new voices and new realities.
By creating a pattern that better reflects the world as it is, and the world we are becoming.
This is the task before us: To reform our institutions. To support one another to advance peace, sustainable development and human rights. And to ensure that every nation can see itself in our common endeavour. The pattern is ours to shape, together.
Teruma kasih.