September 17, 2024
JAKARTA – United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi as his special envoy on water to stimulate partnerships and efforts “to advance the water agenda” globally.
According to a UN statement released on Friday, Retno starts her new role on Nov. 1.
The foreign minister’s tenure ends on Oct. 20 with the transfer of power from President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to his successor, Prabowo Subianto.
Retno is the intergovernmental organization’s first special envoy on water, a new position that was created at the UN Water Conference in March 2023 in New York, the first major water forum in almost 50 years.
Her new job involves “galvanizing partnerships and concerted efforts to advance the water agenda”, according to the statement, including following up on the outcomes of last year’s water conference in “efforts to ensure a water-secure future for all”.
She is also expected to push for stronger global cooperation on issues related to water and sanitation, as well as to mobilize action and financial resources to address the global water crisis.
In a prerecorded video statement released on Friday, Retno said it was an honor to be the first person to hold the position of special envoy on water and the first Indonesian appointed as a special envoy to the UN chief.
“I have consulted this appointment with President Jokowi. President-elect Prabowo also gave his full support for this appointment,” she added.
A career diplomat who made Indonesian history as the first female foreign minister, Retno has led the country’s diplomatic corps through dozens of significant events, including its Group of Twenty (G20) chairmanship in 2022 and ASEAN chairmanship in 2023.
She also represented Indonesia at the UN for the past decade, voicing the country’s concerns on issues such as the rights of developing nations, the climate crisis and a more inclusive world order.
Retno is also noted for her persistent assertion of Indonesia’s stance against Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, calling for a permanent ceasefire and global recognition of Palestinian statehood at numerous international forums.
The announcement of her new role at the UN came one day after Retno attended what would likely be her last meeting with House of Representatives Commission I overseeing foreign affairs, defense, information and intelligence, during which she thanked lawmakers for supporting the Foreign Ministry in navigating geopolitical challenges and dire global conditions.
Retno also expressed her hope that the ministry would continue fighting for the Palestinian cause after she left office, noting that Indonesia had gained respect on the global stage for its “consistent fight for justice and humanity, especially on the issue of Palestine”.
“Please don’t leave the Palestinian people alone while they are currently being robbed of their rights,” she told lawmakers on Thursday, as quoted by Antara.
It remains unclear who Prabowo will appoint as foreign minister in his cabinet following his October inauguration, but speculation has been rife that he might pick House Commission I deputy chair Sugiono.
The politician from Prabowo’s Gerindra Party is part of the president-elect’s inner circle and an alumnus of Taruna Nusantara senior high school, an elite private school in Magelang, Central Java, known for its military-style discipline.
Gerindra senior politician Hashim Djojohadikusumo, who is also Prabowo’s brother, said previously that four Taruna Nusantara alumni would be in the lineup of the incoming cabinet, though he did not reveal their names.
Sugiono led last week’s House Commission I meeting with Retno, which fueled further speculation that he might be appointed her successor, especially as he had rarely led the commission’s past meetings on foreign affairs.
But the Gerindra politician denied he was involved in the Prabowo’s cabinet planning, saying this was the president-elect’s prerogative.
Sugiono added that he had led Thursday’s meeting with Retno because fellow deputy chair Teuku Riefky Harsya, a Democratic Party politician who usually presides over meetings with the Foreign Ministry, was absent due to a scheduling conflict, Kompas.com reported.