Indonesian President emphasizes global solidarity for development justice at BRICS Summit

President Joko Widodo of Indonesia continued his official visit to Africa by attending the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The summit, featuring leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, gathered to discuss economic cooperation and global issues.

President Widodo, commonly known as Jokowi, addressed the summit, emphasizing the importance of solidarity among developing nations to achieve equitable development.

During his speech, Jokowi highlighted his presence as not only the leader of Indonesia but also as a representative of The Global South, which constitutes 85 per cent of the world’s population. He stressed the need for a “win-win formula” that would benefit nations worldwide.

Quoting from a YouTube video by the Presidency of the Republic of South Africa, on Thursday (24 Aug), Jokowi invoked the Bandung Spirit, the spirit of the Asia-Africa Conference held in Bandung, in 1955, emphasizing the enduring relevance of solidarity, cooperation, and collaboration among developing nations.

President Joko Widodo attended the BRICS Summit in South Africa. (Photo: Presidential Secretariat Press Bureau).

Calls for developing nations’ unity in upholding rights, combating global crises, and collaborating for equitable governance

Jokowi also emphasized the imperative to uphold international law and human rights.

He expressed concern about the current global economic landscape, characterized by widening development gaps, increasing poverty, and hunger. Therefore, he calls on developing countries to unite.

“Developing nations must unite to advocate for their rights, reject trade discrimination, and prevent industrial hindrance. We all must continue voicing equal and inclusive cooperation. BRICS can lead in championing development justice and reforming fairer global governance,” he stated.

In a candid assessment of the current state of the world, Jokowi said that the world seems to be moving without a clear compass, marked by conflicts, wars, and food crises. Thus, according to Jokowi, collaboration and solidarity are needed to address the existing global crises.

“The world currently appears to be moving without a helmsman, as if lacking a clear compass. Wars and conflicts have led to human tragedies, and the food crisis has pushed tens of millions into poverty. ”

“Not to mention the looming threat of climate change upon humanity. From the pandemic, we have learned that global crises cannot be resolved through isolated efforts or by a group of nations alone. Collaborative solidarity is required to overcome them,” Jokowi asserted.

After attending the BRICS High-Level Conference, President Joko Widodo spoke up in response to the issue of Indonesia’s potential to join the BRICS economic block.

“We want to study it first, calculate it thoroughly; we don’t want to rush,” Jokowi stated in a press release broadcasted through the Presidential Secretariat’s YouTube channel on Thursday (24 Aug).

Jokowi explained that Indonesia will conduct an in-depth assessment before considering joining BRICS. In line with this, Indonesia has not yet submitted an expression of interest.

“To become a new member of BRICS, a country must submit an expression of interest letter. All countries must submit that letter, and up to this point, Indonesia has not submitted the letter,” he clarified.

Despite this, Jokowi also mentioned during this moment that Indonesia maintains a strong relationship with BRICS members, especially in the economic domain.

President Joko Widodo (YouTube International Relations Division of the Indonesian National Police).

BRICS: A counterpart to G7

For your information, BRICS is an economic block formed in 2009, consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

This organization is considered a counterpart to the advanced world economies grouped under the G7, including the United States, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, and Germany.

This alliance was established with the aim of promoting economic and political cooperation among its member countries. This sentiment has been reinforced due to rumours that the BRICS summit in South Africa will discuss new membership issues.

Earlier, leaders from over 40 countries, primarily from Africa and the Southern regions of the world, also participated in the BRICS summit from 22 to 24 August in Johannesburg, alongside President Lula, President Xi Jinping of China, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India.

According to South Africa, the host country, many of these nations have expressed interest in joining. Among the countries attending as observers and potential members are Iran, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Ethiopia, and Venezuela.

India is described as being cautious about the extent of expansion and the criteria for deciding membership. Meanwhile, Brazil supports Argentina’s entry into BRICS but warns that rapid expansion could diminish the group’s influence.