Indonesia: Palestinian Issue Is a Major Test of International Law - Tempo.co English

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono said the conflict in Palestine has become a major test of the international community’s commitment to upholding international law.

Speaking at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Saturday, September 26, Sugiono said continued violations in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank had raised questions about the international community’s ability to enforce existing rules.

“On this matter, Palestine remains one of the clearest tests of this principle, as well as a test of our conscience,” Sugiono said, according to the Foreign Ministry.

He cited the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 as examples of international frameworks that he said must be upheld.

“The violations of international law in Gaza and the West Bank remind us of the world before 1945 ... when a particular group was nearly wiped out,” he said.

Sugiono said Indonesia’s own experience with colonialism had shaped its support for the Palestinian people and their right to self-determination.

Indonesia had experienced the struggle against colonialism “at a time when international law was weak and the strong always prevailed,” he said.

“Our nation’s struggle to achieve independence is what shaped our consistent support for the Palestinian people and their right to determine their own future,” Sugiono said.

He said Indonesia would continue to support Palestinian independence and sovereignty under a two-state solution based on international law and internationally agreed parameters.

“Palestine is not just a regional issue. Palestine is a test of whether the multilateral system can defend the principles it was created to uphold and enforce them when they are needed most,” Sugiono said.

Sugiono also called for consistent enforcement of international law, saying it was important to preserving the multilateral system.

“Sovereignty must be respected and colonialism must end,” he said.

Sugiono led Indonesia’s delegation to the 2026 UN General Assembly and arrived in New York on Monday, September 21. Before delivering Indonesia’s national statement on Saturday, he attended several high-level meetings and bilateral engagements.