The minister made the remarks during her speech while opening the 14th Bali Democracy Forum (BDF).
The social assistance referred to the provision of staple goods to 28.8 million people, cash assistance to 9.9 million families, and assistance from the Family Hope Program (PKH) to 10 million families.
"We push inclusive policies to ensure recovery for all people," Marsudi stated on Thursday.
The minister remarked that in democracy, inclusiveness meant the participation of all people in all aspects of governance.
Marsudi emphasized that no one should be left behind during the pandemic recovery efforts, and the aspirations of all people must be heard in accordance with the spirit of democracy.
"All people must be included in the recovery process, especially those most vulnerable and most affected by the pandemic, such as women, young people, informal workers, disabled people, and local communities," she remarked.
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Themed "Democracy for Humanity: Advancing Economic and Social Justice during the Pandemic," the BDF this year aims to strike a balance between upholding democratic values and implementing regulations to handle the pandemic based on experiences and best practices from participating countries in the forums.
In this case, Indonesia, as the organizer of the annual democracy forum, focuses on three main sub-themes: efforts to eradicate poverty, overcome social inequality, and steps to promote inclusiveness.
"We observed that some countries were doing well, while others were facing difficulties in maintaining democracy amid the pandemic. I emphasize that countries with democracy were able to handle the pandemic in the best possible way," she pointed out.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who also spoke at the BDF opening, remarked that the COVID-19 pandemic can widen the gap between developed and developing countries.
To this end, Guterres encouraged the global community to collaborate in an effort to ensure equality through debt relief, offering equal access to vaccines, and increasing investment in health security, social security, and education for all.
“Equality is not only the spirit of democracy but also a driving force for recovery efforts. Equality is an engine for recovery," Marsudi stated while quoting Guterres' statement.
The 14th BDF was also attended by 18 ministers and deputies from ministerial-level offices, including the US Foreign Minister Antony Blinken, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, and New Zealand's Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta.
This year, the BDF was held in a more interactive manner by seeking views of experts in their fields, including the Nobel Prize-winning economist, Joseph Stiglitz.
Related news: COVID-19 response policies to not weaken democracy: Minister Marsudi
Translator: Yashinta D P, Resinta S
Editor: Suharto
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