Indonesia will serve for two years along with other non-permanent members: South Africa, Dominican Republic, Germany, Belgium, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Kuwait, Peru, and Poland, as well as with five permanent members of the UNSC: the United States, China, Russia, France, and the United Kingdom.
At the same time, Palestine will chair the Group of 77 developing nations at the UN as of January 2019. As the chair of the G77, Palestine will be able to act more like a full UN member state.
Palestine gained de facto recognition as a sovereign state after being approved by the UN General Assembly in 2012, upgrading its status as a UN non-member state.
Being the G77 chair, Palestine`s status will be further upgraded, allowing the nation being colonized by Israel to make statements, submit and co-sponsor proposals and amendments, on behalf of the G77 and China, among other things.
As Indonesia, a staunch supporter of the Palestinian struggle for independence, and Palestine are both holding important positions in the UN, hopes ride high over strengthening international solidarity to end atrocities and crimes against humanity being committed almost daily by the Israeli occupation forces in Palestinian land.
During a visit to Jakarta on Oct 14 for participating in the Solidarity Week for Palestine organized by the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki expressed optimism that Indonesia`s position as a non-permanent member of the UNSC would voice not only the interests of Indonesia but also Palestine.
"This is very important, and we believe that Indonesia, as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council next year, also represents the voice and sufferings of the Palestinian people," Maliki noted.
He also pointed out that Indonesia`s membership in the UNSC would offer a new ray of hope for Palestine to become an independent country.
"We are optimistic that with Indonesia in the UNSC, we are in the right hands," he emphasized.
Indonesia had earlier been a non-permanent member of the UNSC in 1973-1974, 1995-1996, and 2007-2008 terms.
While receiving Maliki on October 16, 2018, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) highlighted the need to stop Israeli violations against the defenseless Palestinians and to resolve the Palestinian issue in a fair and lasting manner in accordance with international and humanitarian laws.
The Indonesian president also reiterated the country`s readiness to help and mobilize support through all Islamic, regional, and international forums to help the Palestinian people, especially as Indonesia will become a non-permanent member of the UNSC next year, and Palestine will chair the Group of 77.
Jokowi said it was unacceptable for the Palestinian suffering to continue, adding that the solution should be a political one and that the Palestinian people have the right to live with freedom and dignity and to have a sovereign state within the 1967 borders.
The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized a "Walk for Peace and Humanity: The Joint Walk to Independence for Palestine" to demonstrate the country`s consistent support to the struggle of the Palestinian people in their efforts to realize independence.
"We are walking together this morning to show that Palestinians will never be alone in their struggle for independence. The Palestinian dream is the Indonesian dream too," Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi stated at the event.
Once Indonesia officially becomes a non-permanent member of the UNSC in early 2019, the Indonesian government will continue to strengthen support for Palestine to gain its independence.
Responding to Indonesia`s support, Palestinian Ambassador to Indonesia Zuhair Alshun praised the Indonesian government and people for the support.
"We will always pay full attention and express gratitude to the Indonesian government for any form of support given to Palestine," he affirmed.
During a speech at the general debate session of the 73rd UN General Assembly at the UN Headquarters in New York City, the United States, in September 2018, Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla had called on the global community to not remain silent about Israel`s occupation of Palestine.
"The international community can no longer continue to remain silent. We must immediately call for negotiations to make the two-state solution a reality," Kalla stated.
He asserted that Indonesia will continue to stand with the Palestinian people until the day they gain independence.
Palestine is the only country in the world that has remained under Israeli occupation since nearly seven decades.
Having experienced what it means to be colonized by foreign forces, Indonesia, which gained independence on August 17, 1945, has always opposed colonialism and is hence supportive of the Palestinian struggle for independence.
Indonesia`s commitment to help Palestine achieve its freedom through diplomatic means was reiterated by Foreign Affairs Minister Marsudi during a briefing on the Jokowi administration`s achievements in terms of Indonesia`s foreign policy at her office on October 26, 2017.
"The struggle of Palestine has been at the very heart of Indonesia`s foreign policy. In every aspect of Indonesian diplomacy, the Palestinian cause is present," Marsudi affirmed.
Reporter: Fardah Assegaf
Editor: Bustanuddin
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
