Yerica Lai and Radhiyya Indra, Jakarta – The case for Palestine will be the "clearest test" of the United Nations' shared principles and conscience, Indonesia's top diplomat said on Saturday, as he pitched the nation's support for a better institution that will make good on its promise to build peace amid growing distrust in multilateralism.

Speaking against the backdrop of the iconic green marble lectern at the UN in New York, the United States, Foreign Minister Sugiono delivered a 17-minute address centered on the need for "resilient multilateralism" that "adapts, responds and most importantly delivers", amid the conflict in Gaza.

"Palestine is not only a question for one region," he said at the UN General Assembly on Saturday. "It is a test of whether the multilateral system can uphold the very principles it was created to defend, and whether it can deliver when it matters most."

He described the situation in Gaza and the West Bank as clear violations of international law and reminiscent of the period before the establishment of the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 1949 Geneva Conventions.

"Sovereignty must be respected and colonialism must be brought to an end. This is where Palestine remains one of the clearest tests of these principles and the test of our conscience," he said.

He said the UN remained "indispensable" as it gives nations the space to resolve differences without resorting to conflict, but a UN new secretary-general must be able to "translate multilateralism into concrete results for people".

"Believing in the United Nations also means believing that it must evolve with the world it serves," he said, adding that "a multilateral system fit for the twenty-first century must be more representative, more agile, and better able to deliver.

Sugiono described Indonesia's bid for a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for 2029-2030 term as part of its commitment to rebuild trust in the multilateral system and keeping channels of dialogue open to advance peace and security.

Experts noted that Indonesia's Palestine push this year marked a stark contrast to President Prabowo Subianto's address at his UNGA debut last year, when he signaled a willingness to support Israel's right to security, should Israel recognize a Palestinian state, for the first time in Indonesia's recent history.

"The latest speech returned to our country's standard foreign policy position, emphasizing national and regional resilience, multilateralism and international law," international relations analyst Dewi Fortuna Anwar said on Sunday, applauding the speech's "clear tone" this year regarding Indonesia's stance on Palestine.

Dewi noted that Prabowo's controversial approach last year appeared to stem from the President's personal hope that a more accommodating stance toward Israel, including Indonesia's participation in the US-led Board of Peace, could help change Israel's conduct in Gaza.

"[Last year's speech] seemed like the President's attempt to appease Israel and its allies, including the United States, to push them to recognize Palestine's statehood," she said.

The speech was later followed by Indonesia joining the Board of Peace this year, with Prabowo describing the forum as a "real opportunity for peace in Gaza" when he signed its charter in January.

But the approach "had not produced the results expected", Dewi said, noting that Israel has continued its attacks on Gaza, which have recently spread further to the West Bank and Lebanon.

The Board of Peace, which was established to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza under US President Donald Trump's 20-point plan, also appeared to have hit a wall almost a year after it was announced, despite backing from the UN Security Council in late 2025.

Andrea Abdul Rahman Azzqy, an international relations lecturer at Budi Luhur University, said Indonesia's shift also reflected a changing geopolitical environment, particularly after Washington joined Israel's war against Iran in February of this year.

"These growing escalations have prompted Indonesia to rebuild its diplomatic standing in the Global South, hence its more explicit emphasis on Palestine this year," Andrea said on Sunday.

The shift comes as several Muslim-majority powers have sought to strengthen their security cooperation amid the region's instability. Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed a joint defense agreement last month following renewed fighting between Iran-aligned Houthi forces and the Yemeni government.

Prabowo's absence this year came as some other world leaders also skipped the UNGA, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, raising further questions about the forum's relevance.

Source: https://asianews.network/palestine-test-for-un-resilience-says-indonesia