IAF 2024 Produces a More Inclusive and Sustainable Global Transformation

Bali, Indonesia successfully hosted the 2nd Indonesia Africa Forum (IAF) in Nusa Dua, Bali, safely and smoothly. This second IAF was attended by six heads of state or government from the African continent, and it successfully strengthened economic diplomacy, trade cooperation, and opened access to non-traditional markets between Indonesia and African countries.

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, Pahala N. Mansury, stated that there are four priority issues discussed in the IAF 2024, namely food security, energy security, health security, and mineral security.

“In food security, Indonesia and Africa have high food needs. Additionally, they have vast land potential and favorable climates. Food security has the potential for trade and supply chains for food, fertilizers, and even the development of biofuels,” explained Pahala.

Meanwhile, regarding the issue of energy resilience, Pahala stated that Africa could be a source of energy (oil and gas), which on the other hand could also develop renewable energy cooperation with Indonesia.

For health resilience, Pahala mentioned that both Indonesia and African countries have a high demand for medicines, vaccines, and medical devices. This has the potential to open up trade in medicines, vaccines, and medical devices, as well as joint development and production in the health sector.

Lastly, regarding the issue of mineral resilience, Pahala mentioned that Indonesia and African countries have the potential to develop a supply chain for the production of components and batteries for electric vehicles (EVs).

“This second IAF has produced G-to-G agreements, which are bilateral collaborations in various sectors between Indonesia and African countries, as well as business deals, agreements between private sectors, and a grand design, which is the Cooperation for Development with Africa 2024-2029,” he said.

On a different occasion, the Director for Africa at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dewi Justicia Meidiwaty, explained that the results of the 2nd IAF serve as a momentum to strengthen bilateral relations and create new opportunities for both parties in achieving sustainable development goals.

As a main outcome, this High-Level Forum produced a “chair’s summary” that encapsulates the ideas and recommendations from the discussions, which can serve as a catalyst for collective efforts towards a more inclusive and sustainable global transformation.