Fostering Sustainable Development Planning in Indonesia
On Friday, January 17, 2025, the Ministry of National Development Planning of the Republic of Indonesia (Bappenas), the United in Diversity (UID) Foundation, and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Southeast Asia organized the SDGs Lecture 2025, "Indonesia in Global Challenges: Shaping a Sustainable Future," in the Bappenas Office. Approximately 300 participants attended in person, 300 on Zoom, and an additional 2,500 tuned in to the livestream. The event aimed at showcasing Indonesia’s role on the global stage in navigating contemporary challenges.
After welcoming remarks from Teni Widurianti, Secretary for Bappenas, and opening remarks from Tantowi Yahya, President of UID, and Mari Elka Pangestu, Vice-Chairman of the National Economic Council of the Republic of Indonesia, the President of the SDSN, Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, provided a one hour lecture on Indonesia and development planning in a complex world. Prof. Sachs reminded the audience of several key points, such as the increasing importance of integrated and long-term planning that utilizes technological developments — just as Bappenas does in Indonesia — the urgency of regional integration and "diplomatic planning," and the need for blended finance for SDGs.
Prof. Sachs noted that the world is facing various challenges, such as global warming, wars, increased inequality, and uncertainty around AI. Despite these issues, he emphasized the need for optimism, highlighting the tools and opportunities available to improve the world’s well-being.
Next, Prof. Sachs participated in a discussion with Prof. Arif Satria, rector of IPB University, and Yaya Junardy, President of IGCN, moderated by Vivi Yulaswati, Deputy for Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation of Bappenas. The panel discussed the importance of governance in supporting the SDGs and SDG financing and how to strengthen Indonesia's role in the energy transition. The event concluded with closing remarks from Pungkas Bahjuri Ali, the Head of the National SDGs Secretariat.
A recording of the event is available here.
