New York, 21 January 2023 (TDI): On her visit to New York, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Retno Marsudi discussed support for Afghan women’s education and Indonesia’s candidature for the Human Rights Council.
The Foreign Minister met with several parties to discuss some topics of concern including the US Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Rina Amiri.
The meeting’s discussions included the follow-up to the International Conference on Afghan Women’s Education (ICAWE).
The conference held on 9 December 2022 in Bali produced a political commitment to the education of Afghan women.
Alternative Education Methods for Afghan Women
Minister Retno underlined the importance of exploring alternative education methods. These included online education, and women’s empowerment through informal education.
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Also, a dialog between religious leaders of Islamic states in Afghanistan was discussed. Secondly, the Foreign Minister met with the Permanent Representatives of countries influential on the issue of Afghanistan in the UN.
These countries included the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, and China. Also, a number of Islamic states, such as Pakistan and Türkiye, and donor countries Germany and Switzerland.
Moreover, Minister Retno also met the UNICEF Deputy Executive Director. The purpose of the meeting was to ensure that the international community continues providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan.
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She also met the Permanent Representative of Botswana, Burundi, and Rwanda. The meeting discussed Indonesia’s candidature for the Human Rights Council for the 2024-2026 period.
Moreover, she spoke on the closeness of the two countries’ bilateral ties and the track record of Indonesia on human rights issues.
Also, Marsudi is expecting the support of these countries during the voting at the UN General Assembly in October this year.
In addition to discussing humanitarian rights and Afghan women’s education, Minister Retno also shared the various priorities of the Chairmanship of Indonesia of ASEAN in 2023.
The developments in Myanmar and the Indo-Pacific region were discussed.
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