Jokowi calls on global institutions to meet needs growing, interconnected world

Former Indonesian President Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi, addressed global institutions at the inaugural Penang Peace Dialogue during the Commonwealth of World Chinatown conference series in Penang. He emphasized the need for UN reforms to stay relevant and effectively respond to emerging global issues in a growing, interconnected world shaped by technological disruption and a multipolar order.

Jokowi highlighted Southeast Asia's role in the multi-polar context, noting the rise of strong regional powers. He also stressed that technology must be matched with trust, responsibility, and humanity to prevent technology from uniting or dividing societies. Jokowi asserted that complex conflicts are interconnected and cross borders, necessitating a redefined UN system, strategy, and process.

He stressed that sustainable peace must be built on trust, and no country or nation can prosper in conflict, or build peace without trust. Kishore Mahbubani, a former Singapore top diplomat and former president of the UN Security Council, highlighted ASEAN's vulnerability to China and India's power and urged for continued pursuit of peace and mutual prosperity.