Yudhoyono Offered a Leading Position at UN

Options: The president is said to be favoring a role at Global Green Growth Institute

Jakarta Globe, Ezra Sihite, Kennial Caroline Laia & Novy Lumanauw, Sep 02, 2014

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta
on Sept. 1, 2014. (Antara Photo/Andika Wahyu)

Jakarta. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, whose term in office is due to end next month, has been offered a leading position at the United Nations in recognition of his international role, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa confirmed on Monday.

“It is true that the UN offered President Yudhoyono a position as the end of his term nears, in recognition of his performance during his time in office,” Marty said at the presidential office on Monday.

In addition, Marty said similar offers have also come from other international organizations. The president is currently considering his options.

“There are plenty of offers that would allow the president to be continually involved in international matters,” Marty added.

However, he declined to disclose what positions the president had been offered.

“Better ask Mr. President, not me,” he said.

Presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha said Yudhoyono had been offered positions in at least three international bodies, including the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), the Japan-Indonesia Association and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI).

Of those three, Yudhoyono is most likely to choose Seoul-based GGGI, according to Julian.

“President Yudhoyono has been offered to become the president of a South Korea-headquartered climate-change body, [the GGGI],” Julian said on Monday. “It’s almost certain that he will accept.”

The offer to join the Japan-Indonesia Association has come directly from the association’s chairman, former Japanese prime minister Yasuo Fukuda, during his meeting with Yudhoyono in Jakarta on Monday.

“Fukuda basically asked the president to remain active [in the association]. It’s not mentioned, though, what position he was offered.”

As for the Unesco offer, it came from the organization’s director general Irina Bokova during her recent meeting with Yudhoyono in Bali, Julian said. But the president was not interested in this.

“President SBY is not interested in UN organizations,” Julian said. “President SBY seems to be more interested in leading Global Green in South Korea.”

Presidential spokesman for international affairs Teuku Faizasyah specifically denied a rumor that the president had ambitions to become the next UN secretary general.

“There have been opinions that the president wants to become UN secretary general. That’s not true,” Faizasyah said.

Teuku Rezasyah, brother of Faizasyah and the director of the Indonesian Center for Democracy, Diplomacy and Defense, said that appointing Yudhoyono as the UN secretary general would be a good choice for the world and that it would be very prestigious for Indonesia.

“This is the right moment for Indonesia. President Yudhoyono’s statesmanship is unquestionable. On a domestic level, he has succeeded in bringing Indonesia to a more developed and modern level based on the principle of circumspection. In addition, the country’s democracy and economy have improved during his term,” Rezasyah said.

“Globally, Yudhoyono has succeeded in showing the world how to solve problems or conflicts carefully and respectfully without resorting to violence,” he said.

Rezasyah added that the president should accept the mandate to play a role in the international area.

“He shouldn’t refuse the offer because this is such a great honor for Indonesia,” he said. “If not now, the world will experience a ‘loss.’ There is no other figure as qualified as President Yudhoyono who has played such a significant role on a domestic, regional and international level,” he said.

However, he warned that Yudhoyono and his government should fully consider the implications if the president agrees to serve in such a role, especially in the UN.

“There are a few concerns. If Yudhoyono agrees [to join an international body], it should not place any burden on the next government. Yudhoyono or Marty should carefully consider this from every aspect,” he said.

But Rezasyah said although Yudhoyono was a strong candidate as the UN general secretary, potential candidates from other Asian countries could possibly compete for the post.

However, Rezasyah also denied rumors that Yudhoyono had ambitions to become the next UN general secretary.

“I’ve never heard such an ambitious statement from the president. The truth is that if the global society asked him to accept such a mandate, then he better accept it, not for his own interest, but for Indonesia and for the world as a whole,” Rezasyah said.

But Bantarto Bandoro, an international relations observer, said such an offer would be questionable, considering Indonesia’s capabilities on diplomatic matters.

“It has to be something that resulted from our own diplomatic efforts,” he said.

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