Being one of the mouthpieces of South Earth at the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, November 22-23, 2025, Indonesia carries a number of important and urgent proposals. The issues include reforming global financial institutions and reconstructing global supply chains damaged by trade wars. These aspirations not only elevate Indonesia's reputation, but also bring it closer to the world's critical mineral supply chains.
Deputy for Coordination of Economic Cooperation and Investment at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs Edi Prio Pambudi stated that of the 12 themes originally raised in the Leaders Declaration to be delivered at the Summit, Indonesia has advanced a number of ideas on the finance track covering the fiscal and monetary sectors, as well as on the sherpa track covering broader sectors, through G20 working group meetings throughout 2025.
"In the inclusive economic growth working group, Indonesia emphasizes the importance of critical minerals and strengthening downstream. Meanwhile, in the trade and investment working group, we seek inclusive reform of the WTO and reconstruction of supply chains damaged by trade wars," Edi said in a media briefing in Jakarta, Friday (14/11/2025).
In addition to these two issues, Indonesia united with other BRICS member countries to push for reform of the global financial architecture, including the IMF and World Bank. These reforms include rejecting the continuation of closed and non-transparent bilateral loans, and encouraging the G20 to pay attention to the accumulated debt of developing countries, which will reach USD 102 trillion by 2024.
"Together with the BRICS caucus, Indonesia is fighting against unrecorded bilateral debt triggering an unwitting collapse, especially in South Asia and Africa. Mechanisms at the Asian Development Bank are being developed to provide more flexible time to address out-of-tolerance loan dependency," Edi explained.
Demanding reform of global financial institutions is one of Indonesia's multilateral strategies to find relevance in a changing world. Head of the Multilateral Policy Strategy Center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Masni Eriza emphasized that weak IMF supervision has resulted in loan programs creating structural dependency, instead of bringing prosperity.
"Through capacity building programs, many debtor countries still find it difficult to turn them into sustainable reforms and manifest in real programs. Even if it happens, the results have not worked and have worsened the situation," Masni said in a public discussion "Strengthening Indonesia's Role in the G20 for a Fair and Balanced Global Order" in Jakarta, Monday (11/17/2025).
Through the BRICS caucus, Masni explained, Indonesia promotes the idea of a representative aspiration quota for developing countries. This way of advancing aspirations through the caucus is more effective and strengthens Indonesia's bargaining power before developed countries, especially because of concrete suggestions such as currency diversification to build a more resilient and inclusive global financial system.
In addition to increasing bargaining power, according to Masni, the power of a country to push an agenda in multilateral forums such as the G20 is not solely successful because of the country's ability alone, but also how strong the alliance that Indonesia has built to push the issue to reach discussion.
"Since the G20, Indonesia has been a bridge builder, because if we stand alone, it will be difficult. So we advance these two important issues through small groups, following adjustments, and then after completion, we advance them together. This method gives us more strength to face big countries," Masni said.
Be heard more
In addition to its consistent position as the only Southeast Asian country in the G20, ownership of critical mineral reserves such as nickel, copper, bauxite and tin, which are the raw materials for future industries, is one of the strengths of Indonesia's bargaining power on the multilateral stage.
Dita Herdiana, Economic Analyst at the Secretariat of Sherpa Indonesia at the G20, revealed that as President of the G20 2025, South Africa succeeded in mainstreaming the discussion about the need for a framework that regulates the governance of critical mineral supply chains at the international level. Specifically in the Leaders Declaration that is currently being drafted, there are at least 5 paragraphs that discuss critical minerals, ranging from downstream to the role for the energy transition.
Dita explained that Indonesia's position, which has been repeatedly conveyed in Sherpa track meetings on critical minerals, is to support the framework to include measures to realize potential reserves in developing countries, strengthen investment, and supply chain security.
In addition, Indonesia encourages developed countries to invest in building smelters and processing plants for nickel, copper and bauxite in developing countries, so that downstream industries such as batteries and solar panels can form the backbone of global clean energy.
"Indonesia's agreements aim to develop partnerships between developed and developing countries, especially to minimize geopolitical impacts. Developing countries must have equal access to global green finance, as well as technology transfer that builds resilience in the long term," said Dita.
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Despite having a loud voice, Deputy Director of Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Indonesia Meliana Lumbantoruan reminded that downstreaming and the presence of critical minerals without ready governance actually opened a gap for deforestation and environmental degradation. The destructive power caused by both as a risk of downstreaming can even reach up to twice as wide as the mining area.
"With the critical minerals framework brought by South Africa, Indonesia can become a country that is heard more than just being a supplier, namely as a rule-shaper to form a suitable policy on critical minerals, with an approach that prioritizes people over mines," said Meliana.
Through this people-first approach, the environmental aspects of critical mineral exploration are not just about the AMDAL, but also the alignment of communities around the mine, to determine benefit-sharing that not only adds to company profits and state revenues, but also to local communities and local governments.
Meliana suggested that with Indonesia becoming a major player in the global critical minerals supply chain, the G20 forum could be a space for Indonesia to push for the creation of a global traceability mechanism, a complete guideline that informs the location of mines, the origin of raw materials, and the fulfillment of environmental standards in electronic products.
"Indonesia can also push for a global standard of ESG+ benefit sharing, ensuring local communities get long-term benefits, not just environmental losses. We need to ensure transparency of licenses, ensure accountability, and provide all information that needs to be made public," Meliana said.
