UN chief honors fallen Indonesian peacekeepers and highlights future deployments

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres spent two days in Indonesia, touring the Indonesia Armed Forces Peacekeeping Centre in Sentul, West Java, and commending the nation’s nearly 2,000 peacekeepers serving in seven UN missions. He laid a wreath in memory of four Indonesian soldiers killed in Lebanon this year, reiterating that assaults on peacekeepers can constitute war crimes. Guterres met troops preparing for the MINUSCA mission in the Central African Republic and discussed the upcoming UN Peacekeeping Ministerial that Indonesia will co-host with the Netherlands.

In meetings with President Prabowo Subianto and Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir, he highlighted Indonesia’s importance as a diplomatic bridge-builder and called for reforms to give developing countries a stronger voice in global institutions. The Secretary-General also urged better multilateral cooperation on peace, development financing, climate action and artificial intelligence, and called for full implementation of the Gaza peace plan.