This paper examines the need for Indonesia to recalibrate its approach to UN peacekeeping by moving away from a numbers-based strategy. Over the past two decades, Indonesia's strategy to strengthen its status as a major UN peacekeeping contributor has focused on increasing the number of peacekeepers on the ground. This is evident in the 2012 'Vision 4,000 Peacekeepers' initiative. While this st…
This paper examines the need to design a Flexible Working Arrangement policy in Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) post-COVID-19 pandemic. During the unprecedented time of COVID-19, thousands of employees were forced to work from home using digital technology and platforms, and MoFA embraced the new normal by implementing Working from Home (WfH) arrangements using existing technolog…
This paper examines the need for Indonesia to refocus its engagement with Yemen, given that the relationship between the two countries has long been rooted in history, dating back centuries when merchants from the Hadhramaut region in modern-day Yemen arrived in present-day Indonesia. Formal diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Yemen began in 1992 with the opening of the Indonesian Embass…
This paper examines the role of Indonesian aid in strengthening Indonesia's sovereignty diplomacy, using the Papua issue within the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) as a case study. OACPS comprises 48 Sub-Saharan African, 16 Caribbean, and 15 Pacific member states, raising concern as it includes many frontline countries on the Papua issue with a history of engagemen…
This paper examines the need to reconsider the role of digital platforms in accelerating Indonesia's tourism recovery following the pandemic. The pandemic has led to a surge in the use of digital platforms worldwide, with social media usage growing rapidly since the outbreak of the virus. With the arrival of the vaccine, the Indonesian government is now looking to bounce back economically, with…
Despite being the world’s largest Muslim population and the economy with the highest gross domestic product (GDP) among Muslim-majority countries, Indonesia is currently the biggest global halal food market, but nowhere among the major global halal food producers and exporters. The Indonesia Islamic Economic Masterplan (MEKSI) 2019-2024 has outlined a set of strategies to achieve the visi…
This paper examines the need to improve MoFA's individual performance management system for a more effective organization with higher performance. By utilizing Sasaran Kinerja Pegawai (SKP) as a leadership tool, the paradigm of individual performance management will shift from mere administrative compliance to career-beneficial, benefiting both individuals and the organization. Individuals will…
This paper examines the need to refocus strategy in preparing Indonesian diplomats to engage with Papua issues, given that competing narratives on Indonesia's sovereignty over Papua remain dominant in public and academic discourses, while accusations of human rights violations and constant questioning of Papua's history benefit separatist narratives. Indonesian diplomats overseas are tasked wit…
This paper examines scaling up the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia in promoting the creative economy as a catalyst for national economic growth. The creative economy sector contributed IDR 1.105 trillion to Indonesia's GDP in 2018, with USD 20.5 billion in export value, employed 17 million workers, and supported SDGs implementation. Creative economy is one o…
This paper examines the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Indonesian Representatives Offices, and Diplomatic and Consular Officers in providing citizen service and protection for Indonesian citizens abroad, with a focus on optimizing the Portal Peduli WNI. Aligned with Indonesia's refocused diplomatic priorities stated in the 2021 Annual Press Statement of the Minister for Foreign Affair…