Indonesia says Palestine is defining test of UN credibility
Indonesia has described Palestine as a defining test of the United Nations’ credibility, warning that international institutions cannot maintain public trust if they fail to enforce international law consistently.
Foreign Minister Sugiono delivered the message at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York as conflicts in Gaza, Iran, Ukraine, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Myanmar continued to expose divisions in the international system.
Palestine and colonialism
Sugiono said stronger institutions alone would not protect multilateralism unless countries defended the principles supporting them.
“International law must be upheld consistently, sovereignty must be respected, and colonialism must be brought to an end,” he said.
He described violations of international law in Gaza and the West Bank as reminders of the period before the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the four Geneva Conventions of 1949.
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Sugiono connected Indonesia’s position to its own struggle for independence.
“Indonesia knows what it means to struggle against colonialism, to struggle in a world where international law was weak and might was right,” he said.
Indonesia reaffirmed its support for Palestinian self-determination and an independent, sovereign state based on the two-state solution.
“Palestine is not only a question for one region,” Sugiono said, describing it as a test of whether the multilateral system could defend its founding principles and act when required.
Reforming multilateralism
Sugiono said the UN remained indispensable but needed to become more representative, agile and capable of delivering results.
“The answer to imperfect multilateralism is not less multilateralism. The answer is stronger and better multilateralism,” he said.
He also called for reform of the international financial architecture to provide developing countries with greater support and policy space.
Resilience from national to regional level
Sugiono argued that stronger multilateralism begins with countries capable of meeting their populations’ needs. He identified food security, energy, education, healthcare, employment and industrial development as foundations of national resilience.
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“At the heart of our resilience are our people,” he said.
He presented ASEAN as a regional model in which countries with different political systems and interests continue to maintain dialogue.
“We do not always agree, but we have made a conscious choice to stay together,” Sugiono said.
Security Council role
Indonesia is seeking a non-permanent UN Security Council seat for 2029–2030 under the theme “Fostering Unity, Advancing Peace.” The candidacy places Indonesia’s criticism of the international system alongside a commitment to participate more directly in its reform.
Sugiono said Indonesia would maintain dialogue, defend international law and convert shared responsibilities into practical cooperation if elected.
“Because resilience is not simply about surviving the storms, it is about having the strength to keep moving forward together,” Sugiono said.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
