So the contribution of Indonesia to deploy values of democracy was already highly acclaimed."Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The government of Indonesia is continuing to muster support for the candidacy of the country as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2019-2020 period.
Indonesia has once again proposed becoming a non-permanent member of the UNSC, with Vice President Jusuf Kalla kicking off the campaign for membership at the UN Headquarters in New York last September.
Over the past three years, the government has intensified campaigns to gain the support of other countries for UNSC non-permanent membership.
Indonesia was first elected for the 1974-1975 period, for the second time in 1995-1996, and for a third time in 2007-2008, when the country received 158 votes out of the 192 member states who vote in the UN General Assembly.
Indonesias contribution to the United Nations peace mission, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Retno LP Marsudi, supports its candidacy as a UNSC non-permanent member.
Speaking after a coordination meeting held here on Monday about the deployment of Indonesias personnel to the UN peacekeeping force for a peacekeeping mission, Retno remarked that the contribution to the peacekeeping mission had become a very strong point in its favor.
Indonesia is one of the largest contributors of security personnel to the UN peacekeeping force and provides its main weaponry system for peace missions in 10 countries.
Retno explained that Indonesia was the tenth largest contributor among the 124 countries that contribute to the UN peacekeeping force.
"Of course, this has become a great asset supporting Indonesias nomination as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2019-2020 period," Retno affirmed.
Many countries, including Senegal, Zimbabwe, and the Czech Republic, have expressed their support for Indonesias candidacy in this role.
Senegal Foreign Affairs Minister Ndiaye Mankeur said at a recent meeting with Indonesian Ambassador to Senegal Mansyur Pangeran that the Senegal government would support the candidacy of Indonesia.
Mankeur noted that Indonesia is a great country that plays a very active role in the important issues managed by the United Nations, both within the region and in the international forum.
He mentioned that both Indonesia and Senegal had dispatched troops to the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in countries involved in conflict.
Apart from Senegal, Zimbabwe and the Czech Republik, support has also come from Sweden. Indonesia and Sweden have agreed to support each other for UNSC non-permanent membership.
In addition, Czech Foreign Affairs Minister Lubomir Zaoralek has expressed his countrys support for Indonesias candidacy.
"I can also promise that the Czech Republik will support Indonesia on the international stage because we see Indonesia as a partner," Zaoralek told ANTARA recently.
Indonesia and the Czech Republik, according to Zaoralek, are countries that share similar values towards global peace.
The Czech foreign affairs minister stated that Indonesia is a country that has promoted democracy in the region. Also, he pointed towards the moderate way of life enjoyed by its citizens.
He lauded Indonesias efforts in fighting the radical movement and countering terrorist acts.
"Indonesia also has the tendency to mediate, not only in disputed countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, but also in mediating clashes on the South China Sea issue," Zaoralek added.
On his official three-day visit to Indonesia, from February 25 to 27, the Czech foreign minister made a courtesy call on President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), as well as met with the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs and the Minister for Legal and Security Affairs.
When marking the official start of the campaign for the nomination of UNSC non-permanent membership at the UN Headquarters in New York in September, Vice President M Jusuf Kalla explained that
Indonesia needs a powerful lobby with other countries, to assist in the nomination effort.
Kalla noted that Indonesia, as a non-permanent member of the UNSC, is considered important, as the country will become one of the states that will formulate the policy.
"By becoming a non-permanent member of the UNSC, we will become one of the states that will make policies and take part in efforts to establish world peace," he remarked.
Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi said Indonesia is approaching this campaign in a serious manner.
Retno noted that to be a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, Indonesia has promoted the theme, The True Partner for World Peace.
"Because if we talk about diplomacy-Indonesia, then Indonesia becomes an agent of world peace that is already strong. So we play a lot on the issue of democracy. Bali Democracy Forum is already the one worldwide event. So the contribution of Indonesia to deploy values of democracy was already highly acclaimed," Retno said.
In the UN Security Council there are two types of members, permanent and non-permanent. Permanent members consist of the United States, Great Britain, China, France and Russia, who were the major force as the Allied Block in World War II.
Meanwhile, non-permanent members of the UNSC are rotated through an election system.
In the last three years, Indonesia has sought support from friendly countries for non-permanent membership on the UN Security Council, the most decisive institution at the United Nations.
If Indonesia becomes a non-permanent member of the UNSC, it can speak directly to the permanent members on issues of global peace and security.
(T.O001/INE/KR-BSR)
Reporter: Otniel Tamindael
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2016
