Indonesia's Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka urged world leaders at the G20 summit not to normalize preventable human suffering. He referenced conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and the Sahel, while promoting QRIS as a financial inclusion solution. Gibran also emphasized each country's right to chart its own development path.
At the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Saturday, Indonesia's Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka delivered speeches in three main sessions. In the first session, focusing on sustainable economy, trade, finance, and debt in developing countries, Gibran promoted the Quick Response Code Indonesia Standard (QRIS). "Our national digital payment system, QRIS, shows how simple and low-cost digital solutions can drive economic participation and minimize inequality," he said.
Gibran stated that Indonesia welcomes the G20's focus on sustainable finance but its ambition must go further to close gaps through debt relief, innovative financing, and green transition mechanisms. Indonesia allocates more than half of its national climate budget, about 2.5 billion USD per year, to support green SMEs, agricultural insurance, and climate-resilient infrastructure. He also highlighted technologies like crypto assets and Bitcoin, proposing a dialogue on 'economic intelligence'.
Gibran emphasized that every country has the right to map its own development path. "Indonesia believes that every country has the right to map its own development path because there is no one-size-fits-all model. There is no such thing as the best method," he said. Global growth must be strong, fair, and inclusive.
In the second session, on building a resilient world, Gibran addressed disasters, climate change, just energy transition, and food systems. He referenced conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and the Sahel. "We see this in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and the Sahel, as well as many other regions, where conflicts have destroyed homes, stolen hopes and livelihoods," he said. Gibran urged world leaders not to normalize suffering. "The world must not allow and normalize preventable human suffering as the new normal."
As a forum representing 85 percent of global GDP, the G20 has a moral obligation to lead. "The G20 has a moral obligation to lead by example, ensuring that growth and resilience are two sides of the same coin, fostering hope, prosperity, and justice for all," Gibran added. The third session will cover decent work, artificial intelligence governance, and critical minerals, a key focus for Indonesia.
