Elation, skepticism greets RI's election to UN Council

Elation, skepticism greets RI's election to UN Council

JAKARTA (JP): News of Indonesia's election as a non-permanent
member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) was met with
elation at the foreign ministry yesterday despite skepticism by
some on it's true impact on the Western dominated Council.

"On the basis of a telephone interview with our permanent
representative (at the UN) I can tell you that we have been
elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security
Council," Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas told journalists
yesterday morning.

Alatas said that Indonesia wished to thank the Asia group for
its endorsement along with other countries outside the continent
which lent support.

For many, news of the election came as no surprise since
Indonesia has for the past year undertaken an aggressive, albeit
low-key, approach to garner a non-permanent seat.

The UNSC is made of five permanent members -- Britain, the
United States, China, France and Russia -- who have exclusive
veto powers, and 10 non-permanent members.

The non-permanent seats are selected by the UN General
Assembly to serve two-year terms of which each year five become
eligible for new membership. Indonesia replaces Pakistan as the
second representative from the Asia region.

Based on a 1963 amendment, the General Assembly agreed that
the 10 non-permanent seats on the UNSC would be divided
geographically.

"Indonesia is wholeheartedly determined to contribute
constructively and concretely to the programs and agenda of the
Council," Alatas said.

However, at a separate event held earlier, a senior political
scientist, J. Soedjati Djiwandono, from the Centre for Strategic
and International Studies (CSIS) tore down whatever grandiose
notions exist of Indonesia's role at the UNSC.

"Absolutely none!" barbed Soedjati when asked by The Jakarta
Post about Indonesia's potential influence on the Council.

He justified his skepticism by saying that the so-called "New
World Order" and the Security Council are mere tools of the
United States.

"Membership has a lot of prestige, we can be heard there even
though we have no power there," he allowed.

According to Soedjati, who is also a member of the UN
Secretary General's Advisory Council, evidence of this lies in
the fact that in the post-Cold War period, Russia has not used
its veto power.

"It's not being used because Russia does not dare to," he
remarked, underlining Russia's desperate need for U.S. financial
investment and assistance as the chief reason.

Dr. Hero Kuntjoro-Jakti, head of international relations
studies at the University of Indonesia, told the Post that
Indonesia as a member of the UNSC could represent the concerns of
the developing nations.

"Indonesia's role could be very profound in issues of
development, including poverty and pollution," Hero said.

Soedjati also noted that Indonesia could play a role in
voicing the concerns of the developing countries, but would not
take for granted that membership in the UNSC meant it could
automatically do so.

"Whether or not it can be done depends more on our diplomatic
savvy," he said.

Forecasting the prospect of Indonesia's tenure which begins on
Jan. 1, 1995, Alatas said that it carries many new
responsibilities and duties.

"We are contemplating expanding our staff there (in New York)
to beef up our permanent representative office," he said.

When queried whether this "victory" signaled a prelude to
Indonesia's desire to become a permanent representative, a
beaming Alatas chuckled, "that's another matter."(Dini S.
Djalal/mds)