Does Indonesia need a foreign policy white paper?

Yayan GH Mulyana, Jakarta | Tue, 02/07/2012 10:49 AM A | A | A |-Klipping The Jakarta post

One interesting feature in the ongoing Republican Party primaries in the United States is the readiness of candidates to tackle foreign policy issues. Mitt Romney, for example, has released a foreign policy white paper titled An American Century: A Strategy to Secure America’s Enduring Interests and Ideals.

The white paper covers a wide range of country-based issues as well as thematic issues such as the Middle East and the Arab Spring, disarmament, terrorism and human rights. It also outlines the need for reform in the institutional and legal aspects of US foreign policy.

Foreign policy white papers have been widely used by governments or people who are running for office to explain their views and beliefs on foreign policy issues. For candidates, it is important that a white paper be convincing and persuasive to voters.

White papers are also prepared to respond new challenges that might profoundly affect a country and its people. Australia, for example, through a task force, is currently preparing a white paper titled Australia in the Asian Century.

In countries such as the US and Australia, white papers are a critical part of national foreign policy management. White papers are part of a tradition that builds textual communication on foreign policy between the governments and the people or between politicians and voters. They are also part of educating the general public on foreign policy issues that affect their lives.

Romney’s foreign policy white paper was prepared by his foreign policy team, which is comprised of experts with blend of experiences, spanning academia and public service. It is guided by visions and a set of interests that go well with the traditional values of the Republican Party in foreign policy.

Meanwhile, Australia’s Asian Century white paper is being prepared through a public consultation process that includes an array of stakeholders, from the general community to business and academia and other interested parties. This process will encourage a wide sense of ownership and enhance the legitimacy of the white paper.

Does Indonesia need a foreign policy white paper?

Indonesian foreign policy is rich in written and spoken tradition. Since independence until today, the nation’s leaders have been very innovative in calibrating Indonesian foreign policy with the challenges of their time. One historic innovations is the bebas aktif (free and active) foreign policy. Prime minister Moh. Hatta introduced the doctrine in a speech before the Working Body of the Central Indonesian National Committee on Sept. 2, 1948.

During Sukarno’s presidency, Indonesia was quite inventive in its foreign policy: from pioneering in the birth of the Non-Aligned Movement to the use of the concept of Nefos (new emerging forces) and Oldefos (old established forces) as a working notion to look at the world of that time and efforts to use Pancasila as a normative basis for the international order.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has been active in strengthening the bebas aktif foreign policy through his directives. He introduced the idea of an “all-directions foreign policy” and “a million friends, zero enemies” to make foreign policy more relevant to the national interests and the challenges that Indonesia is presently facing.

As far as a foreign policy white paper is concerned, it is not a tradition yet in Indonesia that governments or candidates to develop such papers.

Perhaps, from a practical point of view, having a foreign policy white paper is not that urgent, despite efforts that have been made in the past few years. This is quite understandable considering that even without such papers, Indonesia has been doing well in foreign policy since independence.

For all that, a white paper on foreign policy would give us more benefits than harm.

First, it would helps organize all essential foreign policy directives in a more coherent, structured, and systematic manner. Indonesia would have a clear picture as to what should be prioritized and what strategic measures should be taken in foreign relations within a particular time frame.

If we believe that this century is the Asian century, it is important that we have forward-looking and crystal-clear vision as well as viable missions to embrace the spirit of the time.

Second, a white paper could help relevant institutions to generate derivatives from the nation’s foreign policy directives. This could help ensure coherence and consistency between presidential macro-foreign policy and ministerial micro-foreign policy.

This could also facilitate better cooperation among relevant institutions in the foreign policy business.

Third, a white paper made available through the media and accessible to the people would help increase the people’s awareness of foreign affairs and foreign policy. Thus, it would have an educational purpose.

Fourth, a widely consulted white paper would further our democracy. Amid many voices, a government white paper would have broader public legitimacy.

In this context, it would be something to be anticipated if candidates in 2014 could use white papers to express solid and coherent view of the foreign policy issues that affect Indonesians in the 21st century.

The writer works for the President’s special assistant for international relations. The opinions expressed are his own.