Yayan GH Mulyana, Jakarta | Opinion | Fri, July 06 2012, 9:38 AM - Klipping The Jakarta Post
Paper Edition | Page: 7
On June 13, 2012, in a speech to the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) in Bogor, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono presented a manifesto on sustainable development with equity. The points of this manifesto were reaffirmed in his speeches during and on the sidelines of the recent Rio+20 Summit.
The pronouncement of the manifesto asserts the prominence of economic development (ecodev) as one of the country’s strategic interests. This is only natural for a country like Indonesia, which is now an emerging country with notable sustained growth and a greater contribution to the global pursuit of strong, balanced, inclusive and sustainable growth.
An ecodev strategy is multidimensional in nature. It encompases a wide range of core interests, from sustained growth to poverty eradication, a green economy, sustainable development, food and energy security and financial inclusion. It also permeates the jurisdiction of both domestic and foreign policies.
In fact, ecodev is not a new interest in Indonesia’s foreign policy. During the first Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in Belgrade in 1961, for example, Indonesia pioneered the discussion of ecodev on the agenda of NAM. To further promote ecodev imperatives in a concerted way, Indonesia cofounded the Group of 77 in 1964. Since its inception, the G77 has served as the spearhead of developing countries in guarding their ecodev interests within the UN system, and also in promoting South-South cooperation for development.
But what makes today’s ecodev strategic to Indonesia is that it is beyond resolutions and declarations of multilateral negotiations. It is a real issue that matters most and is at the very heart of present-day Indonesia. It is the choice of commitment, which is followed through with bold policies, strategies and practical measures. This is particularly true considering what Indonesia has been doing in the areas of, among other things, climate change, food and energy security, financial inclusion and poverty eradication.
The significance of ecodev to Indonesia was rececently highlighted by the decision of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to appoint President Yudhoyono as one of the Co-Chairs of the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on a Post-2015 Development Agenda. This appointment was not random. It was based on careful consideration, which reflects the international community’s appreciation toward Indonesia for its role in the promotion of sustainable development both at home and abroad.
The presidential manifesto has undoubtedly confirmed the strategic meaning of ecodev to Indonesia. It outlines the substance of ecodev that needs to be furthered in specific directives, frameworks, strategies and goals.
The fact that the ecodev strategic interest is situated within the confluence of domestic and foreign policy carries with it a few consequences.
First, it will require better interagency coordination. Only by effective coordination can the best decisions be made on what needs to be done via domestic policies with regard to ecodev, through the foreign policy establishment and through the interface of the two.
Second, the development of ecodev capacity will be needed, especially within the governmental agencies that perform coordinating or monitoring functions. When such capacity is already available, it will be important to ensure that such capacity functions effectively. Technical ministries that tackle specific dimension of the ecodev interest may wish to mainstream the presidential manifesto into their work.
Third, policy synchronization and harmonization. As national policy is foreign policy under the ecodev framework, it is crucial to ensure coherence between the two policies, particularly in terms of substance.
Fourth, prioritizing the avenue. This is about where the battle must be won. Is the battle in the generating of strategic partnerships? Is the battle at the UN, G20 or G77? Is it in Bali, Copenhagen, Durban, Rio or elsewhere? For countries like Indonesia, the World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha round on development is a critical battlefield that has yet to be won.
Fifth, strategizing for the pursuit of the ecodev strategic interest through bilateral and multilateral diplomatic channels. This would include the development of norms, alliance building for high-level advocacy and galvanizing global support, and the construction of a global geo-sustainability architecture.
And sixth, human resources and knowledge development. Sufficient understanding of the many aspects of ecodev is relevant not only for substantive developement but also negotiating purposes. It often happens that under particular circumstances, a negotiating diplomat needs a sufficiently profound understanding of ecodev-related issues, or on the reverse side, a negotiating technical official needs to possess the finer skills of diplomacy.
The primary goal of an ecodev-based foreign policy is to facilitate the creation of develiverables by technical agencies. The main foreign policy agency will serve as a catalyst and nexus between the processes at the external and domestic levels. And it is the responsbility of technical ministries to make tangible deliverables. This gives rise to the paramount importance for a proportional manifestation of institutional responsibilities, orchestrated through a workable modality of cooperation and coordination.
The presidential manifesto on sustainable developement with equity is also a doctrine for ecodev-based Indonesian foreign policy. It is the imperative for post-2015 ecodev-based foreign policy. It is the visionary basis for foreign policy that responds to the challenge of a global population of 9 billion by 2050, the increasing scarcity of resources, the rising need for food and energy security and the continued urgency of alleviating poverty.
In today’s world of complex interdependence and continued globalization, the choice of ecodev as a strategic interest does not necessarily augur the insignificance of political and security interests within Indonesia’s foreign policy. It merely aims to place ecodev in a significant position, taking into account its high relevance to Indonesia’s foreign policy. Indeed, it should be recognized that ecodev and polsec (political security) are in fact often interlinked and mutually affecting.
The presidential manifesto has certainly enriched the Indonesian foreign policy tradition. It has helped focus on what are the most pressing issues for Indonesia nowadays. In the future, as Indonesia strives to become a developed country by 2025, the quest for both ecodev and polsec strategic imperatives is crucial.
The writer is an assistant to special staff to the President for international relations. The opinions expressed are his own.
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