Indonesia seeks to revive spirit of multilateralism
Indonesia seeks to revive spirit of multilateralism
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Durban, S. Africa
Foreign Affairs Minister Hassan Wirayuda will attend the ongoing
14th Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and
the Second Asian-African Sub Regional Organization Conference
(AASROC) meeting later, both to be held in Durban, South Africa.
Indonesia sees there is a need to regain the spirit of
multilateralism and continue the reforms of the United Nations.
"In Indonesia's view, the development of the global situation
has shown a decline in multilateralism and international
democracy, while unilateralism seems to have become more
powerful. Moreover, military force is being used to settle
conflict instead of peaceful approaches," the Foreign Ministry
said in a media statement made available to The Jakarta Post on
Wednesday.
It also said that the three-day meeting, which began on
Tuesday, would focus on the challenges of multilateralism in the
21st century and assess recent developments in the international
arena since the previous NAM meeting in Kuala Lumpur last year,
when member states declared their commitment to the principle of
international relations outlined in the UN Charter and in
international law.
Hassan will also attend the AASROC meeting in Durban on
Friday. The meeting will discuss the priorities for creating
peace and prosperity in the two continents.
The AASROC meeting is part of preparations for the golden
jubilee of the Asia-Africa Conference in Bandung, West Java, next
year, where member states are expected to declare a "New Asian-
African Strategic Partnership" (NAASP).
This year's NAM Ministerial Meeting is being attended by more
than 100 foreign ministers of members states, 32 guest
representatives and 45 representatives from international
organizations. South African President Thabo Mbeki is scheduled
to open the one-day formal plenary session on Thursday.
The world's developing nations vowed on Wednesday to push debt
relief for Africa, saying rich countries and lenders must boost
efforts to pull the world's poorest continent out of its economic
spiral, Reuters reported.
NAM, whose 115 members form one of the largest international
groups apart from the UN, said it would urge more aid and
investment for Africa as well as more African input into
decisions on its economic affairs.
"The movement supports enhanced debt relief for Highly
Indebted Poor Countries, but seeks quicker delivery of this debt
relief," said one ambassador from the Caribbean.
"Debt relief and Western market access for African goods are
key components and will be included in the official declaration
of the ministers' meeting," the ambassador added.
African countries owe the International Monetary Fund, World
Bank and Group of Eight (G-8) industrialized nations hundreds of
billions of dollars and say debt repayments are crippling them.
The G-8 has agreed to extend its Highly Indebted Poor
Countries debt relief program through 2006, but poor countries
say this is not enough to pull them out of poverty.
By taking up the issue of debt relief for Africa, NAM is
staking out new diplomatic territory for itself. The group was
formed in 1961 as a third way between the Cold War rivalry of
Western and Communist blocs.
While some Asian members of the group have seen rapid economic
growth, many of its 53 African member nations remain among the
poorest countries in the world.
According to the Jubilee Debt Campaign, which lobbies for debt
cancellation, poor countries around the world owe more than
US$200 billion in loans taken in the 1960s and 1970s, funds which
were often channeled into the private purses of corrupt leaders.
The NAM ministers' meeting is expected to reiterate support
for the UN as the forum for agreeing global policy on the U.S.-
led "war on terror".