Opening Statement By President of RI at The Bali Democracy Forum V, Nusa Dua, Bali, 8 November 2012
OPENING STATEMENT
BY PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA
AT
THE BALI DEMOCRACY FORUM V
NUSA DUA, BALI,
8 NOVEMBER 2012
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Bismillahirrahmanirrahiim,
Assalamu'alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
May Peace Be Upon Us All,
Om Swastyastu,
Your Majesty,
Your Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of the Government and the
people of Indonesia, I am pleased and honoured to welcome all of you to
Indonesia and to the Bali Democracy Forum. Your
participation and continued support have further enhanced BDF as the premier
inter-governmental forum for exchanging ideas and sharing experiences on
democracy in the region.
I thank my Co-Chairs for this year's meeting, President Lee Myung-bak of the
Republic of Korea, and Prime Minister Julia Gillard of Australia.
And as this is going to be his last attendance at the BDF as President of
Korea, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude and highest appreciation
to President Lee Myung-bak for his strong support for the BDF process all these
years, for the enduring friendship that he has shown me and to Indonesia, and,
most importantly, for his remarkable service and contribution as one of the Asia's most energetic and
visionary statesmen. Let us give President Lee Myung-bak a big hand of applause
to our appreciation.
I would also like to thank all other Heads of States and Governments present
here today, as well as other delegates and observers. I wish in particular to
acknowledge the consistent support shown by His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah
of Brunei Darussalam and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao of Timor-Leste. I also
wish to express my appreciation to President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan,
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of
Turkey, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra of Thailand, Prime Minister Peter
O'Neill of Papua New Guinea, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean of Singapore,
and Deputy Prime Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha Prakash of Nepal.
Your... thank you... Your
presence today signifies our common interest in promoting and consolidating the
values and principles of democracy in the Asia-Pacific. I am confident that
through sharing and exchanging views and experiences, this Forum will
contribute positively to the attainment of democracy in the region.
This is the fifth
annual meeting of the Bali Democracy Forum.
It is a pertinent time to reflect on what we, through BDF, have achieved in the
past five years and to
reflect on where we are heading in the coming years.
While there is yet to be a study on the impact of BDF on advancing democratic
values and principles in our region, I think there are some reasons for us to
feel confident that we have made important contribution in the past five years.
First, every year, since 2008, the BDF produces concrete outcomes. These are
not just outcome documents. They
are also testimonies to the increasing shared commitment of countries in the
Asia-Pacific to democracy. Every year, we express our determination, and every
year we reaffirm our commitment to the democratic values and principles.
Second, there has been significant prospect in the past five years for
democracy in Asia and the Pacific to flourish. India and Indonesia continue to
be the largest democracies in the region and the world. An impressive
democratic transformation is now unfolding in Myanmar. In Mongolia, where I
made a state visit last September, and in many countries of Central Asia,
democracy is thriving. And of course, the Arab Spring that continues to evolve.
And third, five years ago, 40 countries and international organizations took
part. Three Heads of State or Government attended. Today, we have some 80
countries and International Organizations, and 11 Heads of State or Government
taking part in the forum.
I believe that such growing participation means that BDF is serving its basic
purpose of sharing experiences and best practices in democracy. We have learned
a lot from one another, and mutually reinforced our commitments to democracy.
It is not my contention that because of the BDF democracy in Asia and the
Pacific is strengthening. But I do believe that in the past five years,
together, through the BDF we have done something. Together, we have used the
BDF as a substantial and strategic platform for partnership in the promotion of
democracy and political development in our region. Together, we have made the forum
an important part of democratic architecture in the region.
As to our future direction, we cannot stop with this modest contribution of the
BDF. We must ensure that we remain focused on our democratic pursuit. Democracy
is a work in progress, and therefore we need to consolidate the gains that we
achieved from democratization during the past five years.
We believe that the sustainability of democracy rests upon our ability to
nurture its benefits and to build a democracy that delivers tangible outcomes.
These are outcomes that our people can fully appreciate and enjoy such as
economic benefits, political rights, and shared ownership of governance.
Democracy should also be nurtured to ensure our resilience. Commitment for
democracy should not be taken for granted as it may weaken when people are
faced with pressing political, economic,
and social challenges. This is why our forum becomes even more relevant in the
future.
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
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As you all are aware, the theme of this year's BDF, BDF, is "Advancing Democratic Principles at the Global Setting: How Democratic Global Governance Contributes to International Peace and Security, Economic Development, and Effective Enjoyment of Human Rights."
The choice of this theme is based on a belief that there must be a parallel
between our democratic work at the national level, with that at the global
level. I believe that the forum can help us find ways of making our democratic
principles work effectively, not only in our region, but also in a global setting.
Critical to our democratic work at the global level is global governance. It is
a governance that fully subscribes to democratic principles. It is a governance
that strengthens international peace and security, advances economic
development, and promotes effective enjoyment of human rights.
I believe that our forum can play its part in the shaping of such global
governance. This should be the natural progression of our forum, especially as
the current global governance has yet to effectively address the challenges of
our time. For example, the worsening situation in Syria and the ongoing global
financial crisis.
Let me share some thoughts on how we can advance democratic principles in the
global setting.
First, we must make sure
that the global governance reflects the reality of our time where the center of
power is widely dispersed. The credibility of global governance is at risk, if
nations see it as being based on the realities of the past. In the political
sphere and to achieve global security, we must have a responsive and effective
international organ that can put an end to protracted and bloody conflicts.
In the case where the central authority fails to protect their own citizens, we
are left with the question of as to who should protect them. In my opinion, the
international community should step in to prevent further humanitarian
tragedies, to
fulfil its responsibility to protect. On the one hand, such steps should fully
respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country concerned. And
yet, on the other hand, the steps should also ensure the immediate bringing to
an end of the humanitarian tragedy. Syria is again a case in point. The
protracted conflict there is a harsh reminder of the failure of the current
international system to fulfil its expected mandate.
Let me therefore reiterate what I stated at this forum two years ago: that the
reform of the United Nations Security Council is needed now, more than ever
before. In my opinion... Thank you... In my opinion, an effective Security Council must be
one which better represents the global... I should say the contemporary global reality. A Council
that enables the widest possible contributions of UN Member States. We need to
ensure a harmony between aspirations of the Security Council Members with the
rest of the UN General Assembly Members. Such harmony entails the promotion of
multilateralism and rejection of unilateralism.
The same principle applies in addressing various global issues, such as climate
change and the development agenda. The formulations and implementations of any global agenda will
be more successful if in the process, democratic principles are followed. Thus,
the voices and support of all United Nations Member Countries, big or
small, are pertinent.
In the economic sphere, global economic institutions must continue to expand
the participation and contribution of these
emerging economies. The emerging economies have been very influential in
promoting global trade, capital flows,
and investment. That is why, within the G-20 framework, Indonesia has
consistently promoted the interests and concern of developing countries.
In the social sphere, global prosperity may never be achieved if global
economic governance does not address development issues. Developing countries
should be able to enjoy equitable access to markets and financial flows for
development. Global poverty is not only an economic problem but also a major
security challenge. It is also about global justice. This is why the attainment
of the MDGs is crucial and also the shaping of a post-2015 development agenda.
Second, global governance must provide mechanisms to address long-standing
issues of intolerance and prejudice. We should deal with the issues openly with
a view to finding mutually acceptable solutions.
In my opinion, a more democratic world should be founded on the principle of
mutual respect of our diversity. We need to encourage greater respect for
different values, faiths,
and religious beliefs. We should not allow irresponsible acts such as the
defamation of religion to divide us. Therefore, we should continuously promote
harmonious relations among civilizations and a global culture of peace and
moderation.
For example in our region, ASEAN promotes genuine, frank, and honest dialogue and
advances cooperation on the issue of human rights. ASEAN has been able to take
bold steps to establish fully functioning human rights mechanisms and to
formulate an ASEAN Human Rights Declaration.
Beyond the regional level, inclusive engagement has been promoted through the
work of the Human Rights Council and its Universal Periodic Review (UPR)
mechanism.
Moreover, we can still further democratize governance by establishing norms and
standards, to address the emerging challenges that are getting more globalized.
And third, regional organizations should be given a bigger role in the global
decision-making process. They are in a better position to understand and assess
the root causes and particularities of the multi-dimensional challenges that
arise in their respective regions.
For Indonesia, ASEAN is the driving force for regional political development on
the basis of the principles of democracy, because it ensures inclusiveness,
participation, and a
sense of ownership by all its member countries. I believe ASEAN will be able to
contribute to the creation of a more democratic global governance.
Ladies and gentlemen,
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As a final thought, developing a democratic system of global governance is not an easy task. However, I am confident that our forum can make some positive contributions in shaping a more democratic global environment. An environment where peace, prosperity, and a better life for all humankind prevail.
I am optimistic that in the long run, we can achieve our goals. We do this in
line with the practice that we follow in our forum: the sharing of ideas, exchange
of experiences and lessons learned among participation, among participants of equal standing.
We share the same wisdom that there is no single model of democracy. No one
size fits all. Democracy will be self-sustained if it is a homegrown process.
With that in mind, by saying bismillahirrahmannirrahim, I declare the
Fifth Bali Democracy Forum officially open.
I thank you.
Wassalamu'alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om.
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Asisten Deputi Naskah dan Penerjemahan,
Deputi Bidang Dukungan Kebijakan,
Kementerian Sekretariat Negara RI