The recent forum hosted by Indonesia marks a significant moment, being the first of its kind in six years, as the nation seeks to enhance its economic cooperation with AfricaThis year's theme, "The Bandung Spirit Supporting Africa's Agenda 2063, Aligning with the 2045 Golden Indonesia Vision," underlines four key areas of priority: economic transformation, energy and minerals, food security, and health cooperationIn tandem, a high-level forum on multi-stakeholder partnerships was held, which aimed to foster transformative solutions in today's interconnected world.

President Joko Widodo, during his address at the forum, emphasized the urgent need to rejuvenate global solidarityHe highlighted the importance of South-South and North-South partnerships, advocating for collaborative synergies to tackle pressing global challengesThe president pointed out the myriad of difficulties the world faces today—stagnant economies, rampant unemployment, escalating inflation, and ongoing geopolitical tensions

He noted with concern how multilateralism has increasingly been sidelined, leading to a growing fragmentation that disproportionately affects developing nations.

Widodo articulated the notion that sustainable development goals (SDGs) must be the focal point of global development effortsHe underlined the need for alignment with the African Agenda 2063 and other regional priorities, calling for robust support through multi-stakeholder partnershipsIndonesia is stepping up to champion the interests of the "Global South," committing itself to the pursuit of equality, justice, and solidarity while accelerating the realization of sustainable development goalsThis commitment resonates with Indonesia's enduring promise since the 1955 Asian-African Conference, aiming to work alongside various countries and particularly strengthening ties with Africa, which plays a pivotal role in global development agendas.

The immense potential for collaboration between Indonesia and Africa can be observed across multiple sectors

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According to Deputy Foreign Minister Pahala Mansury, there are significant opportunities particularly within four prioritized domainsFor instance, in the energy sector, Indonesia currently imports upwards of 500,000 to 600,000 barrels of oil daily, while Africa holds around twelve percent of the global oil reservesMoreover, Indonesia is in the process of establishing an electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem, necessitating importations of critical minerals including nickel, copper, lithium, cobalt, and graphite—resources in ample supply across various African nations.

Food security has emerged as another focal area for potential collaborationWith a combined population of approximately 1.7 billion people, Indonesia and Africa each face the imperative of producing sufficient food to meet their demandsIn healthcare, Indonesia has already contributed around one billion vaccine doses to African countries, and advancing health cooperation is crucial for enhancing human capital indices on both sides.

Moreover, Indonesia's Minister of Investment, Bahlil Lahadalia, identified electric vehicle battery development as a crucial industry for bilateral collaboration

With Indonesia housing the largest nickel reserves globally—an essential component in EV battery production—and countries like Zimbabwe boasting significant lithium reserves, there exists a complementary relationshipOther vital minerals such as cobalt and manganese are also found in Indonesia, whilst Morocco holds phosphate resources critical for battery constructionThis is indicative of the broadening horizons for economic partnerships beyond traditional commodities.

In the marine economic sector and palm oil production, Indonesia, which has the second-longest coastline in the world, presents a wealth of opportunities, particularly within the seaweed industry, emphasizing open collaboration with African nations for developing this sector.

Deputy Minister of National Development Planning, Bogat Widiatmojo, communicated that the outcomes from the high-level multi-stakeholder partnership forum in 2024 will be summarized into policy recommendations designed to support the 2030 sustainable development agenda

Participating entities are anticipated to make renewed commitments, establishing frameworks for collaboration that promotes effective communication and resource exchange amongst government bodies, the private sector, and civil society.

Indonesia is determined to work with other global partners to devise innovative financing solutions aimed at benefiting nations in the Global SouthThe prevailing financial architecture often does not favor southern hemisphere countries, a situation that Indonesia is eager to transformThe objective is to create access points that unshackle nations from the burdens typically imposed by financial markets—enabling multi-lateral international cooperation that is adaptable and optimized to the realities of our times.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Investment revealed that Indonesia's state-owned oil company is collaborating with Kenya’s geothermal development firm and African Geothermal International Ltd

to develop multiple geothermal projects in KenyaMid-2024 and early 2025 are the projected completion dates for these projects, which aim to tap into Kenya's geothermal energy potential significantlyA noteworthy project, SUSWA, is expected to establish a world-class geothermal power plant with a capacity of 500 megawatts, set to commence commercial operations by 2027.

Recent discussions at the forum yielded a plethora of positive agreementsMultiple cooperative agreements across critical sectors such as health, energy, food security, defense industry, and infrastructure development emerged from interactionsStatistical data from Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed that agreements amounting to approximately $2.95 billion were reached during the forum period, encompassing areas such as health, energy, food security, and defense—marking a six-fold increase from the inaugural forum in 2018. Additional cooperative agreements are also expected to be further explored post-forum