Handling the Pandemic to Food Security, This is President Jokowi’s Global Legacy for the World
Jakarta — It has been a decade of President Joko Widodo’s (Jokowi) leadership, and Indonesia in his hands has not only focused on domestic development, but also expanded its contribution at the global level. Through humanitarian diplomacy programs and international development cooperation, Indonesia has succeeded in creating a legacy that is recognized worldwide, especially in efforts to maintain global health, food security and the development of Human Resources (HR).
This achievement is clear evidence that under President Jokowi’s leadership, Indonesia continues to play an active role in maintaining global stability and prosperity.
One important achievement that should be appreciated is Indonesia’s commitment to providing development assistance to various countries, especially in Africa.
The Director General of Information and Public Diplomacy at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Siti Nugraha Mauludiah, emphasized that Indonesia has provided grants to 23 countries in Africa. This assistance covers various important sectors, such as food security, health and energy.
“The Indonesian government’s grants to the African region have reached 23 countries out of 54 countries in Africa, or around 42 percent of all African countries,” explained Nining.
The forms of assistance provided include the revitalization of Agricultural Training Centers in Tanzania and Gambia, as well as grants for vaccines produced by Indonesian BUMN for Nigeria.
Indonesia also helps transfer technology in various fields through capacity building programs. This is strong evidence that Indonesia’s commitment to Africa has never waned. This assistance is not only provided bilaterally, but also through a triangular mechanism with international partners such as IsDB, GIZ, JICA, and others.
By 2024, the Indonesian Government plans 12 new grants for Africa, covering the transportation, food security and energy sectors.
“The cooperation plan for the next five years will focus on food security, health and energy, in line with the Africa 2063 global agenda,” added Nining.
The year 2024 marks a significant increase in grant distribution by the Indonesian Government.
Tormarbulang Lumbantobing, Main Director of the Ministry of Finance’s International Development Cooperation Fund (LDKPI), revealed that the grant allocation reached IDR 413 billion, an increase of 66.8 percent compared to the previous year.
“Most of the funds are used for international scholarship programs through The Indonesian Aid Scholarship (TIAS) which aims to build good relations with other countries and promote Indonesian culture,” he said.
Apart from that, Indonesia also provides assistance in the health sector, such as the modernization of the ICU at the Port Moresby National Hospital in Papua New Guinea, as well as support for vaccination and control of diseases such as AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in countries that need it.
In the health sector, Indonesia’s contribution is one of the most prominent. In March 2024, Indonesia sent 10 million doses of polio vaccine to Afghanistan as a form of commitment to global health.
Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi emphasized that Indonesia will continue to support the Afghan people in facing the health challenges they face, including infectious diseases.
“Indonesia has shown that we are ready to contribute to humanitarian issues. “This commitment is not only in the health sector, but also in the education and infrastructure sectors which are important for sustainable development,” said Retno.
Bio Farma’s polio vaccine assistance is expected to reach 3.3 million Afghan children who are very vulnerable to the disease.
Meanwhile, Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani emphasized that LDKPI, which was founded in the spirit of solidarity between developing countries, has succeeded in providing grants worth IDR 356.58 billion to 49 friendly countries during its four years of operation.
“This assistance is real support for global targets such as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” said Sri Mulyani.
Indonesia’s commitment to contributing to global health does not stop there. Indonesia has also sent the first phase of the pentavalent vaccine to Nigeria in 2023, which will help vaccinate more than 500 thousand babies in the country.
The delivery of this vaccine is part of Indonesia’s efforts to expand the vaccine market and build mutually beneficial cooperation in the health sector.
Not only through health assistance, Indonesia is also active in strengthening food security and energy development in developing countries.
During the 10 years of President Jokowi’s leadership, Indonesia has not only become a country to be reckoned with in the Asian region, but has also been recognized as a reliable development partner for developing countries.
President Jokowi’s legacy in the field of humanitarian diplomacy and international development cooperation will continue to be remembered as one of Indonesia’s greatest contributions to the world.
President Jokowi has placed Indonesia on the global map as a country that plays an active role in maintaining world health, stability and prosperity.
