MBG and Indonesia's Diplomacy Behind the UN Resolution

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The Free Nutritious Meal Program (MBG), one of the priorities of President Prabowo Subianto's administration, is no longer just a domestic policy. This initiative to ensure children's nutrition is also becoming part of Indonesia's diplomatic narrative at various international forums.

From the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the BRICS Summit, to the UN Human Rights Council, issues surrounding child nutrition and food security have been repeatedly raised by the Indonesian government.

This move illustrates Prabowo's administration's effort to bring a national priority program into discussions on global issues. Moreover, Indonesia spearheaded a UN Human Rights Council resolution addressing equal access for children to nutritious food.

However, the effort to promote MBG globally is paralleled with strengthening its implementation at home. The government still needs to ensure food quality, enhance monitoring, improve governance, and maintain budget accountability so that this program can run optimally.

Thus, MBG diplomacy is not only an effort to introduce Indonesia's commitment to child nutrition at the global level but also a momentum to enhance the program's implementation domestically.

From Campaign Promises to Diplomatic Agenda

The idea of providing free meals for school children was proposed by Prabowo during the 2024 presidential campaign. At that time, the program was not yet familiar as MBG but referred to as free lunches.

The free lunch program became one of the top priorities in the Vision and 8 Missions document of Prabowo-Gibran, even placing first.

"Providing free lunches and milk in schools and Islamic boarding schools, along with nutritional assistance for toddlers and pregnant women," stated the document, downloaded from Gerindra.id on Tuesday (3/11/2026).

After Prabowo took office as President, the free lunch program was renamed Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) and began implementation by the government.

Entering the second year of its implementation, Prabowo reaffirmed the government’s commitment to continue the program. During the Pancasila Birth Day Ceremony at the Pancasila Building, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Jakarta, Monday (1/6/2026), Prabowo referred to MBG as an effort to build a healthy, superior, and intelligent generation of Indonesians.

"We will continue to provide Free Nutritious Meals to build a healthy, superior, and intelligent generation of Indonesians," Prabowo stated.

The commitment to fulfilling child nutrition is not only a part of the government agenda at home. This issue is also brought into various international forums, intersecting discussions of food security, poverty, and human rights fulfillment.

Bringing Nutrition Issues to International Forums

One platform utilized by Prabowo to raise food security issues was the 80th UN General Assembly in New York, USA, in September 2025.

In his speech, Prabowo highlighted the threats of food, energy, and water crises facing many countries.

"Food, energy and water insecurity haunt many nations. We choose to answer these challenges directly at home and to help abroad wherever we can," Prabowo said in his speech on Tuesday (23/9/2025).

Before world leaders, Prabowo outlined Indonesia's achievements in increasing rice production and food reserves. He also conveyed government efforts to strengthen food security through enhanced agricultural productivity and supply chain improvements.

Prabowo also mentioned Indonesia's food aid to countries in need, including Palestine.

The food security issue has also become part of discussions on Indonesia's international cooperation, particularly in addressing disruptions in global food supply chains.

Document of the Ukrainian Ministry of Agrarian Policy and FoodUkrainian wheat exports have plummeted due to open war with Russia.

Tri cited discussions on the BRICS Grain Initiative during the BRICS Summit in India. This initiative is aimed at securing and anticipating disruptions to food supply chains among BRICS member countries following the food crisis due to the Russia-Ukraine war.

"Certainly, within the context of BRICS, it is quite interesting to see discussions regarding the BRICS Grain Initiative," Tri Tharyat stated in Jakarta on Thursday (17/9/2026).

He added that Prabowo's presentation of the MBG program at that forum received a positive reception from BRICS member countries. According to Tri, there were no rejections or differing opinions regarding that presentation.