Foreign language proficiency is an essential tool for effective diplomacy. However, Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) faces challenges in maintaining the language skills of diplomats who graduated from foreign language programs but have limited opportunities to use their studied languages in overseas assignments. This paper examines diplomats’ perspectives and motivation regard…
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of international cooperation in strengthening national responses to zoonotic diseases. In 2020, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) launched the Zoonotic Disease Integrated Action (ZODIAC) initiative to support member states, including Indonesia, through technical assistance and diagnostic technologies such as RT-PCR. However, ZODIAC’…
This paper examines the need for Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to redesign the management system for locally recruited staff at Indonesian missions abroad. The increasing number of cases filed by local staff is a concern because disputes between missions and their employees are time-consuming, adversarial, and costly. The analysis suggests that regulations and practices may conflate…
This paper examines strategies to strengthen Indonesia’s economic diplomacy by improving diplomatic personnel capabilities and information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure. It identifies diplomats’ economic expertise and access to reliable information as key factors in supporting economic diplomacy. The paper recommends providing pre-departure economic diplomacy training, d…
This paper examines the strategies that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs could implement to aid Indonesia’s national tourism recovery following the impact of the pandemic. The tourism sector was hit particularly hard by the pandemic, with Indonesia losing at least IDR 10 trillion in 2020. Recovery efforts were pursued by the government, including Travel Corridor Arrangements (TCAs) and pilot p…
The Online Drafting Document Management System is designed to improve document collaboration, secure storage, and knowledge management within Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu). By integrating real-time online collaboration with a secure document database, the system records each stage of document drafting and negotiation, enabling authorized users to access previous versions and…
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected the delivery of consular services and the protection of Indonesian citizens abroad. In response, 24 Indonesian Citizen Service Missions introduced various innovations, primarily through digital platforms, social media, and hotline services to provide social assistance, health support, and consular services. Based on survey findings, this paper recomm…
This paper examines social media engagement strategies at Indonesian missions abroad as part of digital diplomacy. Since Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) opened Twitter and Facebook accounts in 2010, Indonesian missions abroad have followed suit, establishing more than 522 accounts across four major platforms: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Drawing on a survey, gap a…
During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the Indonesian Foreign Minister’s media briefings demonstrated effective government communication. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of these briefings through the perspective of high-reliability organizations to identify lessons for future crisis management. The findings highlight the importance of human resource quality, leadership, and media monitori…
This policy paper examines city diplomacy and the role of regional governments in international relations. As globalisation has increased the international presence of subnational actors, such as regions, provinces and cities, these actors have pursued their interests through paradiplomacy alongside central government diplomacy. The paper argues that their increasing involvement can supplement …