Indonesia Brings Bandung Spirit to UN Africa Development Talks

Jakarta: Indonesia brought the Bandung Spirit to discussions at the United Nations General Assembly on Africa's sustainable development, emphasizing practical cooperation to strengthen economic sovereignty and improve human resource quality.

Indonesia's Permanent Representative to the UN, Umar Hadi, delivered the message at the 18th plenary meeting of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

"Indonesia stands with Africa as a partner, based on solidarity and mutual respect," Hadi said in a statement received on Wednesday.

The meeting discussed progress in sustainable development in Africa and international support for the continent, as countries transition from the New Partnership for Africa's Development to the African Union's Agenda 2063.

In his address, Hadi recalled President Soekarno's message at the 1955 Asian-African Conference, which emphasized the right of Asian and African nations to determine their own future.

More than seven decades later, countries across Asia and Africa have made progress and are playing an increasingly important role in shaping global development.

Hadi said Indonesia welcomed Africa's economic growth, which was projected at 4.4 percent in 2025, with 22 countries recording growth of more than 5 percent.

These achievements reflect Africa's resilience and significant potential to realize Agenda 2063, the African Union's vision of a prosperous, integrated, and peaceful continent.

However, Indonesia noted that Africa continued to face several challenges, including high borrowing costs, limited access to development financing, and the need to maximize the economic benefits of its natural resources.

To address these challenges, Hadi outlined three priorities. First, strengthen economic sovereignty by adding value to domestic resources, drawing on Indonesia's experience in downstreaming and developing industries that process raw materials domestically.

Second, make human resource investment a foundation of sustainable development, including through cooperation with African countries on education and agricultural training.

The third is to translate the Bandung Spirit into practical partnerships in trade, investment, and capacity building.

Hadi also highlighted Indonesia's development cooperation with African countries over the past decade. More than 60 Indonesian South-South and Triangular Cooperation projects have benefited around 500 participants from Africa, including initiatives in health, agricultural technology, and livestock.

In addition, the first Indonesia-Africa Forum, held in 2018, generated business deals worth nearly USD600 million. The Indonesia-Africa Infrastructure Dialogue followed in 2019, with deals worth more than USD800 million.

At the second Indonesia-Africa Forum in 2024, participants reached 32 cooperation agreements worth more than USD3.5 billion across various strategic sectors.