Once Again, Indonesia Strengthens Its Influence in the World

Fri, 03 May 2024 08:49 | News | Editorial INTI

Jakarta, INTI - A significant moment for Indonesia unfolds today, Thursday (2/05), in Paris. Indonesia, as the first Southeast Asian country and the third Asian country, will receive the Roadmap for Indonesia's Accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). After exploring its role as a key partner of the OECD since 2007, the presentation of the roadmap marks a rise in status as an accession country. The handover will be conducted by the OECD Secretary-General to Minister of Coordinating Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, representing President Joko Widodo, the Indonesian government, and the Indonesian society. The initial accession process has been relatively swift since the submission of the letter of interest as an OECD member in July 2023. The OECD agreed to formally open accession discussions with Indonesia in February 2024, or within just seven months. The OECD Secretariat declares it as a historic moment.

The OECD has long served as a source of expertise and a study center for strategic policies of international institutions. It also serves as an official observer to the United Nations. Founded in 1961, the organization consists of 38 member countries, aiming to promote global economic and trade progress by providing a forum for nations committed to democracy and market economics, exchanging policy experiences, developing solutions to common problems, and fostering best practices.

The majority of OECD members are high-income countries with a "very high" ranking in the Human Development Index and are considered advanced economies. Their collective population is 1.38 billion people with an average life expectancy of 80 years and an average current age of 40 years, compared to the global average of 30 years. Indonesia, as a young population country (with an average age of 24 years), will have an advantage. With the label attached as a club of high-income countries, OECD member countries collectively control 80 percent of global trade and investment. To achieve the aspiration of becoming a developed country by 2045, it is time for Indonesia to strengthen its influence as a global policy maker.