Indonesia Invites Small Island States as Guests of the Chair at G20

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – G20 President Indonesia will be inviting the small island states to the annual meeting of fastest-growing economies as part of the efforts to promote inclusivity, the country’s top diplomat said.

Foreign Affairs Minister Retno LP Marsudi recently said the move is in line with President Joko Widodo’s plan in bringing the voice of developing countries and least developed countries under the Indonesian presidency in the 20 biggest world economies or G20 this year.

“For the first time, we will invite small island states of the Caribbean and Pacific islands as the guests of the chair by Indonesia so that their voices are heard by the world’s top economies,” Retno said.

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Retno recently sat down with Kompas.com to share her views on Indonesia’s G20 presidency and some concrete actions that can be done, including narrowing the vaccine gap in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The idea is how the biggest world economies can contribute to being a catalyst for a concrete cooperation that is beneficial for the developing countries,” Retno said.

She went on to add that the Covid-19 vaccine inequality between developed and developing countries is tremendous. In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) had set a target to vaccinate 40 percent population of every country. However, the WHO recorded that 41 countries have yet achieved 10 percent of their populations and about 98 countries have yet achieved the target of vaccinating 40 percent of their populations.

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“If the gap is wider, we won’t be able to snuff out the pandemic,” she said.

In the economic sector, there are targets for sustainable development goals (SDGs). However, with the unequal access to the Covid vaccines, the gap to achieve the 2030 SDGs is even wider, the minister said.

Under its presidency, Indonesia will be hosting about 150 meetings and will focus on three main pillars namely: global health architecture, sustainable energy transition, and digital transformation.

Through these pillars, Indonesia will continue to take the lead on ensuring equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines, promoting sustainable and inclusive economic development through micro, small-medium enterprises participation and digital economy, said an official website.