VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Senior officials of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) have agreed to carry forward Chile’s priorities for APEC in 2019, according to a press release issued by the APEC Secretariat received in Jakarta, Monday.

Chile will host APEC themed "Connecting People, Building the Future" in 2019 to offer inspiration for APEC 2019. Chile is one of the most open countries in the world and has free trade agreements that connect and link it with over two-thirds of the world`s population and with more than four-fifths of the global gross domestic product.

"We are committed to a new vision for APEC, one where we achieve full integration and where sectors that have lagged behind can benefit from integration, such as small- and medium-sized businesses and women," President of Chile Sebastian Pinera stated at the launch of APEC 2019.

In his remarks to APEC Senior Officials, President Pinera described Chile`s vision to defend and promote an open economy and free trade within APEC and around the entire world and its opposition to any type of protectionism and all forms of unfair competition.

He said the region`s main risk is obsolescence due to the speed of change.

"During these times of revolution, technological change, and information and knowledge societies, we must have the ability to join in APEC`s great project to create a large free trade zone among the 21 economies that make up this forum," President Pinera remarked.

"An efficient and modern international trade organization is needed, one with clear and transparent rules; one that will prevent us from veering off on the detours that tend to happen in the areas of integration and free trade," he added.

Moreover, President Pinera announced Chile`s priorities for APEC 2019, specifically being that APEC will prioritize taking control of the technological revolution; moving towards integration 4.0 by having in place uniform procedures and regulations to ease trade; aiming for inclusive growth where everyone benefits from integration and progress, in particular, women as well as small and medium enterprises; and taking charge to tackle one of the greatest problems facing humanity today, such as climate change and global warming.

In response to consultations with APEC member economies and civil society, Chile is paying attention to diversity while simultaneously focusing on shared principles and values.

"Hosting APEC provides us an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to multilateralism, an open economy, free trade, the free movement of investment, and the free movement of resources, and to turn them into basic tools for achieving our goal of comprehensive, inclusive, and sustainable development," President Pinera added. (ANTARA)

The youth international organization of Junior Chamber of International (JCI) is being officially led by a son of Indonesia, Alexander Tio, as president of the organization, since December 12. In JCI`s history, this is the first time that an Indonesian has led a global youth organization having over 170 thousand members worldwide, according to a written statement from the Indonesian Consulate General in Chicago received in Jakarta on Monday. Indonesia’s youth leadership is a new page in history for JCI, which was led by successive youth representatives from the Asia-Pacific region since in the earlier period, JCI was led by young Filipinos. Every year, the JCI is led by a young man selected through a congressional mechanism attended by representatives of youth from over 120 countries in the world. Indonesian Consul General in Chicago Rosmalawati Chalid attended the handover of an assignment from JCI President Brian Lim from the Philippines to Tio, a young entrepreneur from Medan, currently residing in Jakarta. Rosmalawati expressed pride over Indonesia’s leadership at the JCI global youth organization. The handover program was followed by raising the Red and White flag at the JCI headquarters in Chesterfield-St. Louis along with the playing of the national anthem Indonesia Raya. The Indonesian flag will fly for a year in accordance with the term of Tio`s leadership. JCI is a global youth organization that originates from the United States and aims to empower youth through leadership and community service programs. Indonesian youth leadership at JCI in 2019 is a good development in the context of the 70th anniversary of Indonesia-United States diplomatic relations. JCI has various branches in several cities in Indonesia. Since the start of the establishment of the JCI Indonesia branch, the organization had links with the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (HIPMI). As president of JCI, Tio will conduct work visits to over 40 countries across the world and introduce Indonesia and its young people to foreign countries. The alumni of the JCI youth organization include former presidents of the United States Lyndon B. Johnson, G.R. Ford, John F. Kennedy, Richard M. Nixon, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, as well as former Japanese prime ministers Taro Aso and Junichiro Koizumi. (ANTARA)

The Indonesian government welcomed the agreement to adopt the Paris Agreement Work Programme (PAWP) carried out at the Katowice Climate Change Conference in Poland, as stated in a written statement from Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jakarta on Monday.

"Indonesia welcomes the adoption of the Paris Agreement Work Programme, which will guide the parties in implementing the Paris Agreement," Chief of Indonesian Negotiator Nur Masripatin stated on the last day of the 24th Conference of the Parties (COP-24) UN Framework Convention on Climate Change on Dec 14 in Katowice, Poland.

During the negotiation process, which took place from Dec 2, the Indonesian delegation actively encouraged the meeting to produce a balanced and comprehensive Paris Agreement Work Programme (PAWP) and put forward the principles of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities.

As an archipelagic country, Indonesia is interested in regulating PAWP to address the global and multidimensional threats of climate change, including threats on the efforts to alleviate poverty, achieve sustainable development, and protect the environment.

In a high-level session on Dec 12, Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya read out a statement from the Indonesian government on Indonesia’s hope that developed countries could fulfill pre-2020 commitments and increase ambitions to fulfill the objectives of the Paris Agreement, both in reducing emissions and helping developing countries in the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

The Indonesian government has expressed commitment to contribute to the handling of climate change, call for the need to increase international cooperation, as well as strengthen the multilateral framework in addressing the issue of climate change.

The Indonesian delegation at the COP-24 was led by Nurbaya and members from across ministries/institutions.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was actively involved as a negotiator at the COP-24.

During the COP-24, the Indonesian delegation continued to support the effectiveness of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, among others, by ensuring fund and technology as well as building capacity to developing countries in implementing the Paris Agreement. (ANTARA)

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) called on security authorities in Jambi on Sunday to seriously tackle illegal logging that still occurs in the Sumatran province.

"Please, the regional police chief stop it. Eradicate it," he said durimg a meeting with forest farmers at Kenali Pine Forest Park to distribute Social Forestry Decree certificate.

"Illegal logging still happens in all provinces. It is the task of law enforcers and the police to deal with it,` he said.

Complaint about the illegal activity was raised by Zulkipli, one of the farmers who comes from the district of Tebo.

"I call for the law to be enforced against the illegal loggers and their financiers. Do not let them freely carry out their activities," he said during a dialog with the president at the meeting.

Zulkipli is the chief of a cooperative entity in Tebo who received 500 hectares of social forest that he has so far used to grow "jengkol" or petai (parkia speciosa) trees.

"I have informed through whatsapp to the minister many times about it," he said.

"That is good. You can whatsapp the minister (Siti Nurbaya)," the President said in response.

"I am Jambi`s regional chief of Nasdem (National Democrat Party) farmers and I also have a duty to guard the forest," Zulkifli explained.

"I do not know about it," the President said.

Zulkipli said that he had also informed resort, regional police chiefs as well as the national police headquarters about the illegal logging so he wished the activity could really be stopped.

On the occasion he also asked for additional 2,000 hectares of forest for mangosten plantation.

"May I have the seed as I saw it developed well in West Sumatra. I ask for 2,000 hectares for mangosten development," he said.

"You are right. Mangosten exports demand is very high from Japan, China but it has not been fully met because all farmers plant oil palm. Mrs. Minister please check it. Check also the cooperative. We are glad to distribute land to the people but if it is neglected we will take it back," the President said. (ANTARA)