Indonesia Calls for Stronger Multilateralism at 10th FEALAC Ministers’ Meeting

Ulaanbaatar: Indonesian Deputy Foreign Minister Arrmanatha C. Nasir stressed the importance of upholding the principles of multilateralism in addressing today’s complex global challenges. He delivered the remarks at the 10th Forum for East Asia and Latin America Cooperation Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (10th FEALAC FMM), themed “25 Years and Beyond: Vision for East Asia and Latin America”, held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on Friday, August 22.

The meeting was attended by representatives from 32 FEALAC member states across East Asia and Latin America, as well as international organizations including UN ECLAC, UN ESCAP, and the FEALAC Cyber Secretariat.

According to Arrmanatha—better known as Tata—FEALAC has, over the past 25 years, grown into a dynamic and influential inter-regional forum, even as global confidence in multilateralism has declined.

“The world needs cross-regional forums like FEALAC to preserve stability and cooperation,” Deputy Minister Tata said, as quoted by the Indonesian Foreign Ministry on Saturday, August 23, 2025.

He proposed three strategies to strengthen FEALAC: enhancing its institutional framework, fostering a sense of shared ownership over common goals, and increasing the organization’s relevance to the public. Indonesia, he added, is committed to deepening inter-regional ties, strengthening people-to-people connections, and maximizing FEALAC initiatives to deliver tangible benefits.

Deputy Minister Tata also underscored that coinciding with FEALAC’s 25th anniversary and the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, the forum should take a leading role in reforming multilateralism, including the full implementation of the Pact of the Future. He further proposed the establishment of a FEALAC Caucus in New York to accelerate discussions on UN reform.

The meeting concluded with the adoption of the Ulaanbaatar Declaration as its main outcome document, reaffirming member states’ commitment to multilateralism, the UN Charter, UN reform, climate change cooperation, and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

FEALAC was established in 1999 as a platform for dialogue and cooperation between East Asia and Latin America in areas ranging from politics, economy, and socio-culture to science, technology, and the environment. Today, FEALAC comprises 36 member states, consisting of 16 from East Asia (including Indonesia) and 20 from Latin America.