Day: June 23, 2023

The UN’s freshly-adopted agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty, also known as the Treaty of the High Seas) marks a new development milestone of international law, said Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Vietnam’s Permanent Representative to the UN.

It is the third treaty to enforce the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), following the UN Fish Stocks Agreement and the Agreement on Part XI of the UNCLOS.

The ambassador said the UNCLOS stipulates the freedom of navigation and fishing on the high seas beyond exclusive economic zones of states, and that seabed resources on the continental shelf of a state are the common heritage of mankind. It also outlines a mechanism for licensing and distributing benefits from seabed mining on the high seas, but has yet to have a similar mechanism for marine genetic resources.

The high seas treaty, comprising 17 chapters with 76 articles and two appendices, develops the UNCLOS on this aspect.

Regarding the main content of the treaty, Ambassador Giang stated that on the basis of the principle that marine genetic resources fall within the scope of the common heritage of mankind, the treaty establishes a framework and method of benefit sharing to help developing countries enjoy equitable sharing of benefits from marine genetic resources, including the digital sequence information (DSI) on genetic resources. “Benefit sharing” not only refers to financial benefits, but also opens up more opportunities for developing countries to participate in marine scientific research, capacity building and technology transfer.

The High Seas Treaty also stipulates the use of Area-Based Management Tools (ABMTs) to balance conservation and sustainable use of protected areas. Besides, regulations on environmental impact assessments are expected to better balance the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources.

Giang said that as Vietnam wants to become a strong, sustainably developing, prosperity and safe maritime nation, which takes part in solving international and regional problems in sea- and ocean-related issues in an active and responsible manner, the country needs to make the most of capacity-building and technology transfer measures, as well as the financial resources of the benefit-sharing fund from marine genetic resources beyond national jurisdiction to access and optimise advanced science and technology.

According to the ambassador, the agreement will be open for signature in New York for two years starting on September 20, the day following a summit on the UN sustainable development goals. It will take effect after 60 countries ratify the agreement./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) and the Southeast Asia Smart Power Programme (SPP) under the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on June 22 signed an agreement to advance regional clean energy priorities.

The signing ceremony took place within the framework of the 14th ASEAN-US Senior Officials Meeting on Energy (SOME-US) held at the headquarters of the ASEAN Secretariat, emphasising the strong commitment of ASEAN member states to promote clean energy transition in the region.

Earlier, speaking at the opening of the 41st ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Energy (SOME), Indonesia’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Arifin Tasrif called on countries to join international organisations and stakeholders to support and cooperate to foster innovative partnerships, inclusive finance, and access to the necessary and effective technologies to accelerate the energy transition.

For his part, Director General of Electricity of the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Jisman Hutajulu highly appreciated the ASEAN-US partnership agreement on supporting sustainable energy development. He emphasised the need to tap into the abundant and diverse energy resources in the ASEAN region to meet the growing demand.

According to Jissman, the partnership with USAID through the SPP will help ACE strengthen the region’s electricity system by promoting energy trade and increasing the deployment of clean energy technologies. This partnership reflects ASEAN’s commitment to the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and the ASEAN Action Plan on Energy Cooperation (APAEC), towards a sustainable energy future. Through this partnership, ACE and USAID aim to accelerate the implementation of APAEC Phase 2 (2021-2025) for the sustainable energy transition in the region.

ACE Chief Executive Officer Nuki Agya Utama affirmed that this three-year partnership is pivotal to achieving the region’s 2025 goals and equips ACE with the tools and resources needed to accelerate the implementation of APAEC, thereby promoting clean and reliable energy, as well as efforts to combat climate change.

Nuki said that the partnership agreement with USAID-SPP also marks an important milestone in ACE’s efforts to accelerate the transition towards a sustainable and resilient energy future in Southeast Asia, and affirms ACE’s commitment to driving positive change and creating a lasting impact on the region’s energy transition./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Jayapura (ANTARA) – The Papua Provincial Government expressed readiness to hold bazaars in several districts and cities under the national Cheap Food Movement (GPM), the launch for which will be led by Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian virtually.Papua Regional Secretariat’s Acting Assistant of Economy and Welfare Suzana Wanggai stated in Jayapura on Friday that the bazaar activity will be held from Monday (June 26). She is also optimistic that the public can make the most of the activity. “We have conducted inspections in a number of regions, and we found that everything is all set,” she noted. Wanggai remarked that implementation of the movement in Papua Province will be undertaken by the governments of the province, Jayapura City, and Jayapura District at several locations, namely the courtyard of the Papua Governor’s Office, Heram Sub-district’s hall, and Gunung Merah Sentani respectively. “We (the Papua government) are focusing on three places, but nationwide, the bazaars will be held simultaneously,” she stated. ccording to Wanggai, the movement constitutes a nationwide program under the collaboration of the governments at the central, provincial, and district levels across Indonesia, so it will be implemented simultaneously at a total of 290 locations. The movement serves as the government’s measure to control the inflation rate and maintain economic stability, she remarked. “The government has set focus on handling this matter. However, all parties need to collaborate and exert concrete efforts to suppress the increase in prices, especially the prices of basic necessities,” she remarked. Meanwhile, Head of Papua Province’s Agriculture and Food Office Samuel Siriiwa remarked that food commodities that will be offered at bazaars are processed fish, cooking oil, rice, chicken meat, eggs, sugar, chilies, shallots, garlic, and several other basic commodities.

Source: Antara News Agency

Eating sago caterpillars is a valuable experience, which cannot be obtained anywhere else (except in Papua). Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA) – Papua became the first destination of Qatari chef Hassan Al Ibrahim in exploring Indonesia’s culinary delights as part of Qatar-Indonesia 2023 Year of Culture, an international cultural exchange event initiated by Qatar Museums.He visited Skouw Sae Village, Muara Tami Sub-district, Jayapura City, Papua Province, which is located near the border of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea on Wednesday (June 21, 2023). The community welcomed him with the traditional Wiru dance that is performed to greet guests. The chef was introduced to several local edibles, including coffee, tubers, papeda — a porridge made from sago starch used as staple food for people in various eastern regions of Indonesia — as well as sinole that is roasted sago starch and grated coconut. Papuan dishes are mostly cooked using simple techniques of grilling and smoking without oil and only adding a little salt. On the occasion, Ibrahim also saw the making of papeda, starting from cutting the sago palm to take its pith, which is the spongy core tissue of a tree. While waiting for people to finish extracting the pith, he was challenged to eat sago caterpillars alive. The insects are usually found in a rotten stem of the sago tree. There were small to adult thumb-sized caterpillars. The Qatari chef admitted to being surprised by the challenge, and it was his first time trying it. He noted that it had a sweet and savoury taste with a chewy texture, and it was quite delicious. “Eating sago caterpillars is a valuable experience which cannot be obtained anywhere else (except in Papua),” he admitted. Furthermore, Ibrahim and several Papuan women squeezed the palm pith to separate water from the sago starch that will be dried later. Ibrahim said he was pleased to witness first-hand the process of making sago starch. He also joined several people preparing a stone furnace to cook the sago. It is a cooking method carried out by heating several stones for about two hours and then placing the food on top of the stones. The people cooked the dried sago starch into papeda by adding water to produce a glue-like porridge. They also cooked several side dishes, such as pork, tubers, and vegetables. While eating the papeda, the Qatari chef noted that sago was a unique staple food and admitted to have never come across such food with the same texture as papeda. He remarked that the Papuan native cuisine with stir-fried banana and papaya flowers as well as fish in yellow broth tasted delicious. The chef said that he could also find sago-based cuisine in Qatar, though the texture is different from the one he found in Papua. sago-based dish in Qatar, which is a type of pudding called sago halawa, is cooked with rose water, cardamon, saffron, and sugar very different from papeda that is only cooked with water and salt. Ibrahim said he will attempt to create a sago-based dish in future by using various ingredients available in his country of origin. Introducing local food Charles Toto, founder of a local chef community in Papua called The Jungle Chef, said he felt proud to have a chef from Qatar witness and participate in the making of sago as well as enjoy the papeda. Toto expects more international cultural visits to be made in future, so Papuan native food can become popular in the world. He said that the Qatari chef’s visit marked a historical moment since it coincided with the 7th commemoration of Sago Day observed every June 21. The Jungle Chef founder also expressed hope that sago would become an alternative national staple food in Indonesia to help strengthen the country’s food security. Rice is the main staple food in Indonesia, while corn, sorghum, and cassava usually serve as alternative foods. Hence, Toto expects that sago can also become a popular food in the nation. There are 18 types of sago in Papua with their own textures and usages. Cultural exchange programIndonesia has been selected as partner for the 2023 Year of Culture due to its cultural wealth and distinctiveness, Indonesian Ambassador to Qatar Ridwan Hassan affirmed. It is the first country in Southeast Asia to be chosen as partner country for the event. ku Cinta Makanan Indonesia (ACMI) — literally meaning I Love Indonesian Food — was elected as the partner for implementing the Culinary Journey Program of the Qatar-Indonesia 2023 Year of Culture. The community chose Papua for the program since it noted that 70 percent of Indonesia’s natural wealth can be found there. CMI, a community aiming to preserve, record, develop, and disseminate the wealth of Indonesia’s traditional cuisine, also selected Medan and Bali as the next destinations for the program. nother reason behind the community holding the Culinary Journey Program in Papua was since the region has diverse local food, especially sago. ACMI is also aimed at preserving the wealth of sago-based dishes. part from showing the making of papeda to the Qatari chef, ACMI also brought Ibrahim to hold a cooking demonstration of several Qatari cuisines for the students of Jayapura 1 Public Vocational High School (SMK) taking the culinary arts class on Thursday (June 22). He also introduced several spices to the students. The event aimed at encouraging the students to continue to make creative recipes. Through this Culinary Journey Program, chefs from Papua and Qatar could share their cooking experiences with one another, so it is expected that a new dish combining traditional Papuan and Qatari flavours can be created in future. Food, one of the basic necessities of humans, has proven to be able to become a means of diplomacy to strengthen cooperation between the two countries through the Qatar-Indonesia 2023 Year of Culture. Related news: Strengthening Indonesia-Qatar friendship through culture

Source: Antara News Agency

Palu, Central Sulawesi (ANTARA) – An official from the Ministry of Investment/Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) has expressed hope that the visit of Japanese Emperor Naruhito will demonstrate that Indonesia is becoming a more attractive destination for foreign investors.Saribua Siahaan, the ministry’s Director for Promotion in Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Regions, stated in Palu, Central Sulawesi, on Thursday that the visit is expected to showcase the improvements in Indonesia’s investment climate. He mentioned that Indonesia’s investment permit application system has become better, faster, and much easier for investors to navigate. “We can now apply for permits from anywhere using the online system. Hence, investors, even if they are in Japan, can apply for an investment permit,” explained Siahaan. He expressed optimism that Naruhito’s visit would create new investment opportunities for Japanese companies in Indonesia, ultimately leading to the creation of new jobs for locals. Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited Indonesia from June 17 to 23 in response to President Joko Widodo’s invitation during his trip to Japan in July of last year. This visit to Indonesia marks Naruhito’s first state visit since assuming the throne on May 1, 2019, succeeding his father, Akihito, the current Emperor Emeritus. The visit coincides with the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Japan, as well as the 50th anniversary of cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Japan. The visit also follows up on Akihito’s efforts to foster harmonious relations with Indonesia. In 1991, Akihito and Michiko visited Indonesia and were received by the late President Soeharto and First Lady Tien.

Source: Antara News Agency

It shows that the Village Fund empowers the villages. Jakarta (ANTARA) – Villages have started to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as reflected by the shifting focus of Village Fund utilization, Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration (PDTT) Minister Abdul Halim Iskandar said.”It can be seen from the shift in the use of the Village Fund, namely (from COVID-19 handling) to village development,” he added at a press conference here on Thursday. He said that the allocation of the Village Fund for rural development has increased to 53 percent, or Rp36 trillion (US$2.39 billion), in 2023. It was just Rp23 trillion (US$1.53 billion), or up 34 percent from the previous year, in 2022. “The Village Fund truly has provided huge benefits for village development,” the minister remarked. lthough President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has announced the revocation of the pandemic status of COVID-19, Iskandar said that some of the Village Fund would still be allocated for COVID-19 handling considering that the virus is still being transmitted in the community. “However, the figure is currently smaller compared to the previous allocation when COVID-19 was still declared a pandemic,” he continued. The allocation of the Village Fund used to implement the ‘Protecting Village from COVID-19’ program declined this year to Rp12 trillion (US$796.98 million), or 17 percent, from Rp29 trillion (US$1.93 billion), or 43 percent, in 2022. Furthermore, the minister said that Village Funds can also be used to provide training and venture capital as well as encourage product and market development to increase the income of the community, reduce poverty rates, and bolster local economic growth. “It shows that the Village Fund empowers the villages,” he emphasized. He added that the utilization of the Village Fund so far has been in accordance with the President’s directives, thus it has been helping villagers to improve their welfare and the quality of their human resources. ccording to the Village Law, Village Funds are funds transferred from the state budget to the regional budget to finance village administration, empowerment, and development as well as to provide financial assistance to village institutions, such as village-owned enterprises (BUMDes). Related news: Village Fund can help alleviate poverty in Southwest Papua: Ministry

Source: Antara News Agency