“We are organizing the 2025 IPACS as a collective platform for Pacific cultures, featuring an artist residency, an exhibition, ministerial dialogue, and a plenary session,” he remarked during the opening of the international forum in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, on Wednesday.
The event gathers representatives from 13 Pacific countries, with culture ministers of Fiji, the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, and New Caledonia attending the opening ceremony.
Zon emphasized that IPACS is envisioned as a venue for Indonesia and Pacific countries to explore shared heritage, strengthen collaboration, and intensify intercultural dialogue.
In this regard, he highlighted Indonesia’s identity as a megadiverse country rich in cultural elements, home to around 280 million people from 1,340 ethnic groups spread across more than 17 thousand islands.
“We are the guardians of 780 languages, accounting for 10 percent of the world’s linguistic heritage,” he said, adding that over 300 languages originate in Indonesia’s eastern region, which forms part of the Melanesian subregion of the Pacific.
He further noted that Indonesia is among the world’s oldest civilizations, citing the discovery of prehistoric human fossils on Java and Flores islands as evidence.
Zon then drew attention to the impact of climate change on cultural sustainability, pointing out that 73 percent of UNESCO World Heritage Sites are threatened by hydrometeorological disasters.
He warned that the crisis has quickly evolved into a systemic cultural emergency, endangering not only heritage sites and cultural objects but also communities whose livelihoods depend on cultural attractions.
The minister went on to say that many cultural actors in archipelagic countries remain disconnected from technology and global networks, hindering their ability to promote their cultural expressions internationally.
On that note, Zon called on Pacific nations to reaffirm their commitment to partnership and cooperation to fully harness their shared cultural potential, stressing that culture should serve as a unifying force in the region.
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Translator: Kornelis K, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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