At the upcoming G20 Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 22–23 November 2025, Indonesia will bring several important and urgent proposals.
As one of the voices of the Global South at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 22–23 November 2025, Indonesia is advancing a number of significant and pressing proposals. These include reforms to global financial institutions and the reconstruction of global supply chains that have been damaged by trade wars. Far from merely raising its international profile, these initiatives are bringing Indonesia closer to the heart of the world’s critical minerals supply chain.
“In the Inclusive Economic Growth working group, Indonesia is emphasizing the importance of critical minerals and strengthening downstream processing (hilirisasi). Meanwhile, in the Trade and Investment working group, we are pushing for inclusive WTO reform and the reconstruction of supply chains disrupted by trade wars,” said Edi during a media briefing in Jakarta on Friday (14/11/2025).
Beyond these two issues, Indonesia is joining forces with other BRICS member countries to advocate for reform of the global financial architecture, including the IMF and World Bank. Among the proposed reforms are rejecting the continuation of opaque and non-transparent bilateral lending, and urging the G20 to pay attention to the accumulation of debt in developing countries, which reached USD 102 trillion in 2024.
“Together with the BRICS caucus, Indonesia is fighting to ensure that unrecorded bilateral debt does not trigger unnoticed collapse, especially in South Asia and Africa. Mechanisms at the Asian Development Bank are being developed to provide more flexible timelines for addressing lending dependencies that exceed tolerable limits,” Edi explained.
Calls for reform of global financial institutions represent one of Indonesia’s multilateral strategies to remain relevant in a changing world. Masni Eriza, Head of the Centre for Multilateral Policy Strategy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stressed that weak IMF oversight has caused lending programs to create structural dependency rather than deliver prosperity.
“Through capacity-building programs, many debtor countries still struggle to turn them into sustainable, tangible reforms. Even when reforms do occur, the results are often ineffective and worsen the situation,” Masni stated during a public discussion titled “Strengthening Indonesia’s Role in the G20 for a Just and Balanced Global Order” in Jakarta on Monday (17/11/2025).
Through the BRICS caucus, Masni explained, Indonesia is promoting the idea of representative quota aspirations for developing countries. Advancing aspirations through this caucus is more effective and strengthens Indonesia’s bargaining power vis-à-vis developed countries, especially by offering concrete suggestions such as currency diversification to build a more resilient and inclusive global financial system.
According to Masni, a country’s ability to push an agenda in multilateral forums like the G20 does not depend solely on its own capabilities, but also on the strength of the alliances it builds to bring issues to the table.
“Since its G20 presidency, Indonesia has been a bridge builder. Standing alone makes things difficult. That’s why we address these two key issues through smaller groups, make necessary adjustments, and then collectively push them forward. This approach gives us greater strength when facing major powers,” Masni said.
Becoming More Heard
In addition to its consistent position as the only Southeast Asian country in the G20, Indonesia’s ownership of critical mineral reserves — nickel, copper, bauxite, and tin — which are essential raw materials for future industries, significantly bolsters its bargaining power on the multilateral stage.
Dita Herdiana, Economic Analyst at the Indonesian G20 Sherpa Secretariat, revealed that South Africa, as the 2025 G20 President, has successfully mainstreamed discussions on the need for an international framework to govern critical minerals supply chains. In the Leaders’ Declaration currently being drafted, at least five paragraphs address critical minerals — from downstream processing to their role in the energy transition.
Dita explained that Indonesia has repeatedly stated in Sherpa-track meetings that any framework must include concrete steps to realise the potential of reserves in developing countries, strengthen investment, and secure supply chains.
Furthermore, Indonesia is urging developed countries to invest in building smelters and processing plants for nickel, copper, and bauxite in developing nations, so that the Global South can establish downstream industries — such as batteries and solar panels — that will form the backbone of global clean energy.
“Indonesia’s agreements aim to develop partnerships between developed and developing countries, particularly to minimise geopolitical impacts. Developing countries must have equal access to global green financing and technology transfer that builds long-term resilience,” Dita said.
Despite having a strong voice, Meliana Lumbantoruan, Deputy Director of Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Indonesia, warned that downstream processing and the presence of critical minerals without proper governance could open the door to deforestation and environmental degradation. The destructive impact could extend up to twice the size of the mining area itself.
“With the critical minerals framework brought by South Africa, Indonesia has the opportunity to be more than just a supplier — it can become a rule-shaper, crafting policies on critical minerals that put people before mines,” Meliana asserted.
Through this people-first approach, the environmental aspects of critical mineral exploration go beyond mere Environmental Impact Assessments (AMDAL); they also include support for communities around mining sites and the establishment of benefit-sharing mechanisms that deliver real gains not only to companies and state revenue, but also to local communities and regional governments.
Meliana proposed that, as Indonesia draws closer to becoming a major player in the global critical minerals supply chain, the G20 forum could be used to push for a global traceability mechanism — a comprehensive guideline that discloses mine locations, raw material origins, and compliance with environmental standards in electronic products.
“Indonesia could also advocate for a global ESG+ benefit-sharing standard, ensuring local communities receive long-term benefits rather than just environmental harm. We need to ensure transparency in all permits, guarantee accountability, and make all information publicly available,” Meliana concluded.
Source: Suar