Jakarta – The National Coordinator of Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Indonesia, Aryanto Nugroho, received a visit from a delegation of youth representing the Institute of Energy and Development Studies (IEDS) at the PWYP Indonesia’s Office on August 9, 2024. IEDS is an independent institution initiated by postgraduate students from various campuses and professions that are concerned with the management of energy and natural resources.

The IEDS delegation led by the Executive Director, Rifqi Nurul Huda, said that the visit was aimed at gathering and exchanging opinions on issues related to energy and natural resource management, which is in line with Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution.

Rifqi also said that PWYP Indonesia, which is a civil society coalition for transparency and accountability in the governance of extractive natural resources and other natural resources, has similarities with the spirit of IEDS. IEDS needs to build collaboration with PWYP Indonesia related to natural resource governance issues, including responding to and encouraging the acceleration of the energy transition in Indonesia.

Aryanto Nugroho expressed his thanks and opened space for future collaboration, considering the important role and enthusiasm of young people who still care about fighting for transparent, accountable, and participatory natural resource governance. Aryanto hopes that IEDS will become part of these youth!

Transparency, accountability, and participation are three important things that must be realized in natural resource governance. However, transparency, accountability, and participation must be based on the fulfillment of rights, especially the right to know, the right to claim, and the right to be involved.

Regulations, institutions, and actors have an important role in realizing transparency, accountability, and participation in natural resource governance. The actors mentioned by Aryanto are the government, civil society, and the private sector. In this case, the government, which has a regulatory function, must ensure a balance between the interests of the public and private sectors.

As Aryanto continued, natural resource management must now adapt to and mitigate climate change. As is known, Indonesia’s energy mix is currently still dominated by fossil-based natural resources. The exploitation and use of fossil natural resources have an influence on climate change. So it is important to adapt and ensure that Indonesia’s natural resource management is adaptive to climate change.