Indonesia, 2013

Let me begin by

congratulating His Excellency Ambassador John

Ashe on his election to the presidency of the General

Assembly at its sixty-eighth session. May I also take

this opportunity to commend His Excellency Mr. Vuk

Jeremi. for his skilful stewardship of the sixty-seventh

session. Our profound appreciation of course also goes

to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his inspirational

leadership of the Organization.

The theme of this session — “The post-2015

development agenda: setting the stage” — is timely

and well-chosen, for we are now making the final push

towards the fulfilment of the Millennium Development

Goals by the 2015 deadline. Simultaneously, work has

begun on framing the post-2015 global development

agenda to end extreme poverty and ensure sustainable

growth with equity. That agenda must be anchored

by a new global partnership — a vision reflected

in President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s role as

one of the three co-Chairs of the High-level Panel

of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development

Agenda and recognition of the fact that the success of

the forthcoming intergovernmental process requires

the capacity to forge a global consensus to identify and

build upon common interests.

Indonesia has an enduring belief in the efficacy

and effectiveness of diplomacy, maintaining peace

and security, advancing social progress and economic

prosperity and promoting democracy, human rights and

tolerance.

The conflict in Syria has long demanded such

a political and diplomatic solution, for amid the

undoubted complexity of the situation three key

points are compelling, namely, halting the violence,

facilitating humanitarian relief and beginning an

inclusive political process that reflects the wishes of

the Syrian people. The recent breakthrough on the

issue of chemical weapons in Syria is clear evidence

that diplomacy works. Further diplomatic momentum

must be generated. The Security Council must be one to

forcefully make the case for a peaceful settlement. To

get the parties to the negotiating table, the “Geneva II”

conference must be convened at the earliest opportunity.

On the issue of Palestine, the full weight of

diplomatic pressure must similarly be brought to

bear and resolutions of the General Assembly and the

Security Council implemented. The historic injustice

that the Palestinian people have suffered for so long

must be ended. We are encouraged by and welcome,

therefore, the resumption of direct negotiations between

Palestine and Israel, the result, no less, of painstaking

and relentless diplomatic efforts. The revival of the

long-stalled nuclear disarmament agenda is also

key. In particular, as co-President of the Article XIV

Conference on the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban

Treaty, Indonesia calls for the early entry into force of

the Treaty.

The same relentless diplomatic pursuit must be

applied to what is manifestly in the common interests

of all, that is, the eradication of poverty, the promotion

of sustainable development and inclusive financing and

overcoming the challenges of climate change. We have

in ourselves the wherewithal to address the development

challenges of our time — for example, to work for an

early conclusion of the Doha development agenda and a

new climate-change regime by 2015.

Key to that, however, must be a strong commitment

to the spirit of partnership and an unshakeable belief

in the power of multilateralism: cooperation and

collaboration rather than discord and division. The

development agenda must work for all countries, large

or small, developed and developing. Each of us must

share responsibility. Developed countries must take the

lead, while developing countries must do more.

The pursuit of a diplomatic path becomes fraught

with challenges in a complex and fast-changing world

where the issues of governance, human rights violations,

extremism and intolerance within countries can

quickly gain inter-State dimensions. We must ensure

that the institutions of the United Nations are ready to

address such contemporary challenges. Therefore, as

countries embark upon a process of democratization

and the promotion and protection of human rights, as

they draw a line against intolerance and extremism,

the international community, the United Nations,

must contribute towards ensuring an atmosphere that

is conducive to their peaceful transformation, one that

reflects the wishes of the peoples concerned.

Together with its partners in the Association

of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Indonesia is

steadily developing a regional architecture conducive

to the peaceful promotion of human rights and

democracy. It is called the ASEAN Political-Security

Community. Together with the economic community

and sociocultural community pillars, it makes up the

ASEAN Community that we are to achieve by 2015.

Through a process of sharing lessons learned derived

from our respective successes and setbacks, we provide

mutual encouragement and support in our promotion

of the principles of democracy, the rule of law and

good governance, and respect for and the promotion of

human rights and fundamental freedoms as inscribed

in the ASEAN Charter.

Beyond South-East Asia, Indonesia is pursuing

the same positive and constructive approach through

what is called the Bali Democracy Forum, a platform

for countries in the wider region to shareone anothers’

experiences. At all levels — national, regional and

global — we remain steadfast in promoting tolerance

and religious freedom, pushing back against prejudice

and intolerance and building partnerships, harmony

and mutual respect. Indonesia recognizes, therefore, the

special responsibility incumbent upon it as host of the

United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Global Forum

in 2014, one that aims to promote unity in diversity.

The primacy of diplomacy and of the peaceful

settlement of disputes over war and conflict is not

more evident than in the quiet and yet fundamental

transformations that have been taking place in

our region, South-East Asia. Notwithstanding the

continuing challenges, Indonesia believes that the

dividends of peace and stability are self-evident:

economic and social progress.

The continued stability and security of the region

is therefore the key to securing our prosperity. Peace

and development are indivisible. With other ASEAN

nations, Indonesia has worked constantly to develop

the region’s capacity to manage and overcome any

potential for conflict and to ensure that it remains a

net contributor to international peace and security; to

extend the arc of stability beyond South-East Asia to the

Asia-Pacific region at large while promoting common

security, common prosperity and common stability

for all in the region; and, through commitments to the

peaceful settlement of disputes and the renunciation

of the use or threat of force, to ensure that the region

places diplomacy at the forefront.

Indonesia will be tireless in promoting the primacy

of diplomacy, and unwavering in its belief in the noble

goals of the United Nations.