Policy paper

Indonesia-United Kingdom Partnership Forum 2021: joint statement

Published 7 April 2021

The Third Indonesia-United Kingdom Partnership Forum was held on 7 April 2021 in Jakarta. Minister for Foreign Affairs, H.E. Retno L.P. Marsudi, led the Indonesian delegation and Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, The Right Honourable Dominic Raab, MP, led the United Kingdom delegation.

The Third Partnership Forum marked the continuation of the strong and fruitful bilateral relationship between the two countries, which is founded on friendship and equal partnership, a shared commitment to democratic values, the promotion of human rights, and a mutual commitment to advance greater economic cooperation and sustainable growth.

The Third Partnership Forum covered a broad range of discussions on COVID-19 and vaccines diplomacy, economic partnerships and trade, creative economy, security, international law, climate change and renewable energy, multilateral cooperation, and other issues of mutual interests.

In the talks, concrete initiatives to progress and expand Indonesia-UK relations in a broad range of bilateral and global interests took shape, including in the following:

Health and vaccine cooperation

1. The strengthening of cooperation towards health resiliency post-COVID-19, including in COVID-19 vaccine distribution. In this regard, both welcomed the cooperation between the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca and BioFarma, and welcomed the recent MoU on Health Cooperation between the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia and the Department of Health and Social Care of the United Kingdom.

2. Shared commitment to ensure a fair, affordable and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccine. For this purpose, both stressed the importance of cooperation under the GAVI COVAX facility. Both committed to promoting transparency, certainty and solidarity that will help to ensure rapid and simultaneous supply and distribution of COVID-19 vaccine.

Economy and trade

3. A shared commitment to realising the potential growth of bilateral trade through the upcoming signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) between Indonesia’s Minister of Trade and the UK Secretary of State for International Trade. The JETCO will aim to deepen our bilateral trade, boost cooperation, and discuss market barriers in areas such as renewable and green energy, and food and drink and agricultural commodities.

4. Welcomed the UK’s proposal to discuss a new agreement to facilitate trade by the UK’s official export credit agency, UK Export Finance (UKEF), which could support the Indonesian Government with highly competitive long-term finance (up to £4bn) in the delivery of its development objectives.

5. Mutual support for the extension of the MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Creative Industries that will incorporate new areas of cooperation in digital technology to help develop the Indonesian creative economy and increase copyrights management capacity.

6. A shared commitment to realising investment potential, which in 2020 saw a 35% growth of UK investment into Indonesia, following the reforms to improve ease of investing and doing business in Indonesia introduced by the Omnibus Law 2020 and its implementing regulations.

7. A mutual commitment to strengthening the multilateral trading system, which is essential for promoting investment, increasing productivity and integrating economies into global supply chains.

Security

8. Shared recognition of the importance of multilateral fora in supporting effective coordination amongst sovereign nations to ensure peaceful international cooperation, particularly focused on countering terrorist threats.

9. In recognition of the strong existing relationship in Preventing and Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism, both sides agreed to continue to strengthen security cooperation to counter regional and international threats via a new Counter-Terrorism Memorandum of Understanding.

10. The welcoming of deepening bilateral collaboration on data protection, growing the digital economy and digital access, and cybersecurity, including through the upcoming Cyber Security Dialogue, which both countries plan to hold this year.

11. Shared support for organising the 3rd Joint Defence Cooperation Dialogue (JDCD) in the UK later this year. Both countries look forward to deepening UK-Indonesia defence cooperation, including by renewing the current MoU between the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Indonesia that is due to expire in 2022.

International law

12. Both sides reiterated a shared commitment to promoting international law and the Rules Based International System, including democratic principles, human rights and fundamental freedoms.

13. Agreement to hold an annual dialogue on selected topics of general international law such as on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to implement the MoU on Maritime Cooperation through the Bilateral Maritime Forum, or on other branches of international law as decided.

Climate and environment

14. A commitment to work together towards a successful outcome of the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Glasgow, November 2021. Both countries reaffirmed their commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement, including strengthening national action on climate change mitigation and adaptation.

15. Noting Indonesia’s internationally verified success in reducing CO2 emissions from deforestation, forest degradation and significantly reducing forest fires hot spots in recent years, the United Kingdom reaffirmed its commitment to work in partnership with Indonesia to develop green jobs and more sustainable land use. In our global efforts to achieve the commitments agreed under the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we call for a holistic approach, noting the crucial importance of combating environmental challenges. In that context, both countries agreed that their co-chairing of the Forest, Agriculture and Commodity Trade (FACT) Dialogue in the run-up to COP26 was an important step towards sustainable global trade with the principle of mutual respect and inclusiveness.

16. Efforts to increase bilateral co-operation on energy transition will continue through the UK-Indonesia MENTARI Low Carbon Energy Partnership and the UK-led Friends of Indonesia Renewable Energy (FIRE) Dialogues to co-ordinate enhanced international partnerships that will accelerate energy transition, in addition to collaboration in the urban and transport sectors through the UK Future Cities programme.

17. The process of the establishment of a Joint Working Group (JWG) that will facilitate a discussion on Agricultural Commodities in order to support sustainable production and non-discriminatory, two-way sustainable trade based on mutual respect of national legislation and mutual understanding of standards and certification. The JWG will be beneficial to both sides in holistically addressing the challenges of sustainable land use to meet the increasing demand for agricultural commodities. It will include consultation on the UK’s due diligence requirements, which will require large businesses in the UK to ensure that the commodities they use have been produced in accordance with relevant local laws. The due diligence requirements will allow for a pathway to recognise different national standards and certification schemes as evidence of that legal compliance.

Multilateral and regional issues

18. Agreement to work together towards a stronger collective global leadership within the G20 to advance sustainable, balanced and inclusive economic growth. The UK expressed its supports towards Indonesia’s presidency in G20 beginning in December 2021. Both sides shared a commitment to strengthen the multilateral trading system, essential for promoting investment, increasing productivity and integrating economies into global supply chains. They agreed that firm action is needed to promote the recovery of the global economy in the post-pandemic period, based on building more sustainable, resilient economies.

19. A shared sentiment that Indonesia and the UK are appalled that hundreds of peaceful protestors have been killed in Myanmar. Indonesia and the UK reiterated calls for the cessation of violence in Myanmar, to ensuring the safety and security of the people in Myanmar and to upholding of the democratic transition. Both shared the view on the importance of creating conducive conditions for communications and dialogue, including the release of all political detainees. Both countries agreed on the importance of ASEAN as the pre-eminent regional institution and a key part of the Rules-Based International System to find acceptable solutions based on the will and the interests of the people in Myanmar.

20. As a State Party to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, UK reaffirmed support for ASEAN’s centrality and the ASEAN-led regional architecture, as outlined in the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. The United Kingdom highlighted its broad and deep existing cooperation with ASEAN and its desire to underpin links with ASEAN through a formal Dialogue Partner relationship. Indonesia positively welcomed the UK’s commitment to deepening cooperation with ASEAN, including support for the UK to achieve a Dialogue Partner relationship.

21. The UK reaffirmed its long-held respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Indonesia, including the provinces of Papua and West Papua, and that, without prejudice to each other’s legal frameworks, it does not support the activities or views of any individual or entity which advocate against that territorial integrity, including any cross border crimes and terrorist acts.

The two Ministers looked forward to the continuation of the Partnership Forum as an important bilateral mechanism toward strengthening and deepening strategic partnership between Indonesia and the United Kingdom.