Jakarta (Indonesia) - President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo called for the importance of global cooperation in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic at the general debate of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday (Sep 22).

In his speech at the virtual event, the head of state said conflicts are still happening all over the world, while poverty and even hunger are still suffered by many.

“The principles of the U.N.  Charter and international law are often neglected… including the respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. All of us are concerned with this situation. Our concern grew even deeper in the midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic,” the president added.

The head of stated further remarked, at a time when we ought to unite and work together to tackle the pandemic. What we see, instead, is one of deep division and growing rivalries.

“Whereas in fact we must unite and always promote a win-win approach in building relations  among  state  that  is mutually beneficial. We all understand the negative impacts of the pandemic are tremendous both on health and the social economy. We are  also  aware that the  virus  knows  no  boundaries across nations…No one is safe until everyone is,” he pointed out.

The president asserted that if division  and  rivalries  continue  to persist, then  the pillars of stability and sustainable peace will crumble or even destroyed, and a  world  of peace, stable and prosperous becomes more and more difficult to attain.

Joko Widodo pointed out that his year, Indonesia also celebrates the 75th anniversary of its independence.

“It  has  always  been  our  commitment that  Indonesia  will continuously contribute to world peace as mandated by our constitution. Indonesia  will  continue  to  play  a  role  as  bridgebuilder as part of the solution,” he stated.

Consistently, that commitment  is  continuously  upheld, including  throughout  Indonesia’s  membership  at  the  UN Security Council, he added.

“The  spirit of  cooperation  will  continue  to  be  promoted  by Indonesia. The spirit which provides mutual benefits to all parties and leave no country behind. No one no country should be left behind,” he stated.

The respect for  equality  was  also  emphasized  by Indonesia’s  founding  father, Soekarno, during the Asia-Africa Conference in Bandung in 1955 that gave birth to the Bandung Principles, the president said.

“Until now the Bandung  Principles  are  still  relevant, including  in  peaceful  settlement  of  disputes, promotion  of cooperation, and respect for international law,” Joko Widodo said.

He reminded of Palestine becoming the only country attending  the Bandung Conference that until present has not enjoyed its independence.

“Indonesia consistently supports Palestine to gain its rights,” he asserted.

The president said along with other ASEAN  member  countries, Indonesia  continues  to  maintain  South  East  Asia as  a peaceful, stable, and prosperous region.

“On its 53rd anniversary on 8th of August 2020, ASEAN reaffirmed its commitment to continue maintaining peace and stability in the region. The same spirit of cooperation and peace was put forward by Indonesia to a wider region, the Indo-Pacific region, through the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific,” the president said.

Reporting by Indonesia Window