3 Indonesian diplomats get top UN posts

Three Indonesian diplomats have been elected to head committees at the UN General Assembly, giving the country the highest number of representatives at the world body. (thejakartapost.com)

The Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday that Ambassador Dian Triansyah Djani had been chosen by acclamation to chair the Economic and Financial Committee, which is also referred to as the Second Committee, for the 2016-2017 period. The committee will discuss various issues and will follow up on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as agreed at the 70th General Assembly last year.

“Indonesia’s chairmanship of the Second Committee is a strategic position, considering that the achievements of UN member countries on the Second Committee will determine the direction of international policies on crucial issues related to Indonesia’s national interests, including on poverty eradication and climate change,” Anindityo Adi Primasto, second secretary at Indonesia’s Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, said in the ministry’s statement.

Meanwhile, Kamapradipta Isnomo and Masni Eriza, ministerial counsellors at the mission, have been elected as deputy chair of the Disarmament and International Security Committee (First Committee) and the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee (Third Committee), respectively.

During the plenary meeting of the 71st session of the UN General Assembly on Monday, Fijian Ambassador Andreas Mavroiannis was elected as chair, beating Cypriot Ambassador in a 94-90 vote count. At the beginning of September, Mavroiannis will succeed Danish Ambassador Mogens Lykketoft.

The UN General Assembly also consists of three other committees, namely the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee), Administrative and Budgetary Committee (Fifth Committee) and Legal Committee (Sixth Committee).

Each committee monitors relevant issues pertaining to their agendas and strives to create harmony between the various approaches of member countries. Their results are presented at a plenary meeting at the assembly, which drafts resolutions and makes decisions.