BoP Lacks Legitimacy and is Risky, Indonesia Must Advocate for Palestine Through OIC
Economist from the Center for Islamic Studies in Finance, Economics, and Development (CISFED), Farouk Abdullah Alwyni, assesses that Indonesia should prioritise the channel of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in advocating for Palestinian independence. This approach is deemed more appropriate than making the Board of Peace (BoP) the main axis of diplomacy.
“I emphasise that Indonesia’s primary diplomatic route in advocating for Palestinian independence should be through the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), not through a non-multilateral forum like the Board of Peace (BoP), which was initiated by US President Donald Trump,” said Farouk in his statement on Sunday, 15 February 2026.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto attended the establishment of the Gaza Peace Council. Photo: Screen capture from YouTube Associated Press.
According to him, as a country with the world’s largest Muslim population and a long track record in Global South diplomacy, Indonesia possesses the moral, political, and historical capital to lead the consolidation of the Islamic world through the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
He views the OIC as the only multilateral forum for the Islamic world that holds international legitimacy, represents the interests of Muslim countries, and has explicitly prioritised Palestine as a core issue since its inception.
Farouk urges Indonesia to initiate active and offensive diplomacy through the OIC, by rallying key Islamic nations such as Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Malaysia, and Egypt. He believes this step is necessary to pressure the United States and Europe, halt Israel’s occupation, and promote genuine and measurable Palestinian independence.
On the other hand, Farouk assesses that the BoP cannot yet be considered a mature multilateral institution. The forum, proposed by the US President Donald Trump, is seen as not emerging from United Nations mechanisms, lacking a clear international mandate, having no leadership succession mechanisms, and being heavily dependent on the personal figure of its initiator.
He also highlights that major US allies like the United Kingdom and France have not joined the BoP, which he argues demonstrates the forum’s weak legitimacy and credibility on a global level.
“The BoP’s founding charter does not explicitly mention Palestine or Gaza, it lacks a roadmap for Palestinian independence, and it provides no clear mechanisms for accountability or observer status,” he said.