United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Indonesia Country Director Christophe Bahuet said that the Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) Forum contributed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s).

The AIS Forum is also committed to helping the archipelagic and island states to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.

"The AIS Forum will focus on practical development solutions and open up new opportunities for island nations to find innovative ways to protect marine resources while increasing their income," Christophe Bahuet said during the Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) Forum Manado, North Sulawesi, on Thursday.

Bahuet said that an innovative financing would help members to access new financing mechanisms such as mixed finance, Islamic finance, and green bonds for projects under the AIS Forum.

With rising sea levels due to global warming, the archipelagic and island states are vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

The Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) Forum`s Ministerial Meeting was attended by delegates from 20 countries such as Cuba, Comoro Island, Cyprus, Fiji, Guinea Bissau, Indonesia, Jamaica, Madagascar, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Sri Lanka, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Suriname, Timor Leste and The United Kingdom.

The 3rd Senior Official Meeting (SOM) delegation earlier agreed to establish the Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) Forum.

The declaration on the establishment of the AIS Forum, called the Manado Declaration, was agreed by the delegation during the 3rd Senior Official Meeting of the AIS Forum on Wednesday (Oct 31) in Manado, North Sulawesi.

The Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs cooperated with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the North Sulawesi Provincial Government to hold the forum.

The declaration, which was agreed by 17 delegations, contains details on the formation of the AIS forum. These countries include Philippines, Japan, Cabo Verde, Cuba, Fiji, Guinea Bissau, Cyprus, Indonesia, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Navis, Seychelles, Singapore, Malta, Timor Leste, Sri Lanka, and the United Kingdom.

Deputy coordinating minister of maritime sovereignty at the Coordinating Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, who chaired the meeting, welcomed the agreement.

"We want to build concrete cooperation to deal with the main problems such as marine plastic debris and marine management," he noted.

Furthermore, the agreement of the participants regarding climate change mitigation, biodiversity protection, marine conservation, and blue economy was the concern of the delegates. (ANTARA)

The Indonesian Ministry of Transportation will tighten aviation safety standards by conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the regulations for low-cost carriers and full service airlines.

"We will evaluate aviation safety regulations for all airlines," Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said in Jakarta on Thursday.

The minister remarked that the evaluation would be adjusted to the report on the results of the investigation of the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT).

The minister will also seek assistance from the United States' Federal Aviation Administration, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and the European Union.

"The government will also seek recommendations from the EU, ICAO, and FAA regarding safety standards," he remarked.

A joint diving team earlier managed to retrieve the black box of the crashed Lion Air plane from the waters of North Karawang, West Java, an official stated on Thursday.

"Both the Baruna Jaya boat and KRI Rigel warship located its position, and the joint diving team then dove deep down and pulled out the black box from the water," Col Iswarto, commander of the SAR task force, informed the press.

The black box was found at a depth of 25-35 meters under the sea and was drifted for some 100 meters from the initial estimated location.

The black box was sent to the Tanjung Priok seaport and then handed over to officials of the National Committee for Transportation Safety.

The Lion Air plane JT610 crashed some 15 minutes after taking off from Jakarta and en route to Pangkalpinang, Bangka Belitung Province, on Monday morning.

The aircraft departed from Jakarta at 6:20 a.m. local time and was scheduled to arrive in Pangkalpinang at 7:05 a.m. local time, according to the Depati Amir Airport authority in Pangkalpinang.

Before it lost contact, the aircraft had sought permission to return to Jakarta due to a problem.

The aircraft carried 178 adult passengers, three infants, six crew members, as well as a pilot of Indian nationality and a co-pilot. (ANTARA)

Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs, Luhut B Panjaitan, remarked that the Manado declaration was a real action taken by Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) to face the threat of climate change.

"The AIS Forum can be a place to share knowledge and to look for smart and creative solutions that can be used by others," Panjaitan said in manado, North Sulawesi, on Thursday.

The minister expected the forum to encourage business involvement and create innovative solutions to fund climate change projects as well as achieve sustainable development goals.

The Manado declaration includes action on climate change mitigation and adaptation, blue economy, sustainable marine resources, and innovative financing mechanisms.

The AIS Forum was initiated by the Coordinating Ministry of Maritime Affairs together with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

AIS is a platform for member countries to engage and collaborate with all stakeholders, civil society, and academics.

The minister stated that archipelagic and island countries have optimism and innovation to solve various problems effectively.

As the largest archipelago in the world, Indonesia takes the role of leading and establishing new financing mechanisms to support climate change initiatives and development projects in member countries.

Under the Manado Declaration, AIS members have agreed to strengthen cooperation on climate change mitigation and disaster management.

"AIS members also agree to work together to face economic challenges and opportunities, plastic waste management, and maritime governance," he remarked. (ANTARA)

Director of Indonesian Citizen Protection and Indonesian Legal Entity at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lalu Muhammad Iqbal confirmed in Ta'if, Saudi Arabia on Monday (October 29) that the government of Saudi Arabia had executed a migrant worker from Majalengka, West Java, Tuti Tursilawati. To the media in Jakarta recently, Iqbal said that the execution of Tuti Tursilawati was carried out by the government of Saudi Arabia without prior notification. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi has sent a protest to her Saudi Arabian counterpart, Adel Al-Jubeir and summoned the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Indonesia, Osama bin Mohammed Abdullah Al Shuaibi to be asked for the issue.

“One thing that is really unfortunate by the Indonesian Government is that the execution of Tuti Tursilawati was carried out by the Saudi Government without notification to the Indonesian Embassy in Riyadh and the Indonesian Consulate in Jeddah. Therefore, the Indonesian Government has expressed concerns and protests about the way the Saudi Government carried out this execution. The first, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia has spoken directly to the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia in her protest. Then, the Minister of Foreign Affairs has summoned the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia in Jakarta and delivered a protest directly to the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia in Jakarta,” said Muhammad Iqbal.

Furthermore, Muhammad Iqbal said that the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had conveyed his condolences directly to the Tuti Tursilawati’s family in Majalengka, West Java. The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has made various efforts to free or relieve Tuti Tursilawati from the death penalty. One of them was consular assistance from 2011-2018; The Ministry appointed lawyers and appealed three times, including conveying twice the President's letter to the Saudi King and various non-litigation efforts. Tuti Tursilawati was sentenced to death by a court in Saudi Arabia in June 2011 for allegedly killing her employer in 2010. (VOI/Rezha/RHM)