Indonesia’s accession to BRICS in January 2025 reflects its strategy of multi-alignment amid shifting global power dynamics and growing geopolitical competition. This policy brief assesses the potential benefits, risks, and unintended consequences of membership through cost-benefit analysis and future scenario planning. It argues that Indonesia should adopt a three-pronged approach by diversi…
Indonesia’s diplomatic premises abroad face infrastructure maintenance challenges that have prompted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to develop the Minimum Essential Diplomatic Infrastructure (MEDI) policy. This policy brief proposes shifting from reactive repairs to preventive and predictive maintenance through technology-driven systems, including Building Information Modeling (BIM), Compute…
Indonesia’s critical mineral resources, particularly nickel, provide strategic opportunities to strengthen its position in global supply chains amid intensifying geopolitical competition and the clean energy transition. Although downstream policies have attracted investment and expanded domestic processing capacity, dependence on Chinese capital raises concerns about strategic autonomy. This …
Indonesia’s partnership with Austria offers opportunities to strengthen human capital development and expand employment prospects for skilled Indonesian workers. However, maximizing these benefits requires stronger labor protection, vocational training aligned with Austrian standards, effective implementation of bilateral agreements, and mechanisms for skills transfer and reintegration. Based…
Indonesia’s development cooperation with Melanesian countries plays a strategic role in safeguarding national interests, strengthening regional partnerships, and addressing geopolitical challenges in the Pacific. However, existing programs face sustainability concerns, limited non-state actor participation, and insufficient mutual benefits. This policy brief examines ways to improve developme…
Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs faces institutional and resource challenges in accelerating the development of Integrity Zones toward Corruption-Free Areas (WBK) and Clean and Service-Oriented Bureaucratic Areas (WBBM). This policy brief examines barriers to reform, including bureaucratic inefficiencies, limited human and financial resources, and inconsistent adoption of integrity val…
Children of Indonesian migrant workers in Sabah face significant barriers to legal documentation, access to education, and protection from exploitation. These challenges present both a humanitarian concern and a diplomatic priority for Indonesia. This policy brief proposes a comprehensive approach to safeguarding their educational rights through strengthened bilateral diplomacy with Malaysia, g…
Indonesia’s experience in facilitating regional peace processes offers a distinctive diplomatic approach grounded in inclusivity, long-term engagement, local values, and multi-track diplomacy. However, the institutional memory of the Indonesian Way remains largely dependent on individual diplomats, limiting knowledge transfer and continuity across generations. This policy brief examines the n…
Indonesia’s diplomatic training cooperation offers significant potential to strengthen its soft power and global influence, yet only 13 of its 54 existing memorandums of understanding (MoUs) are actively implemented. This policy brief examines the institutional and strategic barriers limiting these partnerships, including weak prioritization, inadequate resources, and unclear implementation m…
The global competition for semiconductor technology presents Indonesia with an opportunity to strengthen its technological independence and integrate into global supply chains. This policy brief examines how Indonesia can leverage its non-aligned foreign policy and economic diplomacy to attract foreign investment, facilitate technology transfer, and establish strategic partnerships with leading…