Foreign Minister: Indonesia Becomes Board of Peace Member Without Paying US$1 Billion, Opts to Send Troops Instead
The government has affirmed that Indonesia is a fully legitimate permanent member of the Board of Peace (BoP) without having to contribute US$1 billion. The clarification was made by Foreign Minister Sugiono to correct the assumption that Indonesia’s membership status depended on such a financial contribution.
According to Sugiono, the US$1 billion figure that had previously surfaced is neither a mandatory fee nor a formal requirement for permanent membership. Indonesia, he said, has officially become part of the forum without any specific payment obligation.
“From the outset, I have stated that this is not a membership fee and not a membership requirement. We are already members — there is no issue even if we do not pay,” Sugiono said during a press briefing in Washington DC on Friday, 20 February 2026 local time.
He explained that the discussion regarding a US$1 billion contribution referred to a participation scheme applicable when a country wishes to take on a particular role or position within the forum’s structure. This scheme is distinct from the membership status that Indonesia currently holds.
Furthermore, Sugiono also dismissed claims of an Indonesian funding commitment of US$5–7 billion. He stated that these figures represented pledges or commitments from a number of other countries and fell outside the Board of Peace’s membership fee mechanism.
Under the BoP’s contribution mechanism, participation is not limited to financial contributions. Member states may contribute through various schemes, including the deployment of peacekeeping forces as well as individual contributions channelled through dedicated accounts, including those managed by the World Bank.
Indonesia has chosen a non-cash contribution path by preparing approximately 8,000 peacekeeping personnel as concrete support for missions agreed upon within the forum. “Some contribute money, some contribute troops, and some individuals send contributions to accounts held at the World Bank,” Sugiono explained.
Through this scheme, the government has affirmed Indonesia’s commitment to global peace efforts without burdening the national budget through large mandatory financial contributions as a prerequisite for membership.