United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is visiting Indonesia from October 17 to 19, with the aim of enhancing cooperation and acknowledging the country’s significant contributions to UN peacekeeping missions. During his visit, Guterres will engage with personnel at Indonesia’s peacekeeping mission training centre, who are preparing for deployment to the Central African Republic as part of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).
The visit serves as a tribute to Indonesian peacekeepers who have sacrificed their lives under the UN flag, with particular recognition for those who died in recent attacks in Lebanon. In March and April 2026, four Indonesian peacekeepers were killed while serving with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon. Preliminary UN investigations have attributed one of these incidents to Israeli tank fire and another to an improvised explosive device, likely planted by Hezbollah.
Guterres is also set to deliver a speech at Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry, focusing on the future of multilateralism and emphasizing the need for international cooperation amid ongoing global conflicts and challenges. Indonesia’s longstanding involvement in UN peacekeeping operations is notable, having deployed over 50,000 personnel to various missions worldwide as of February 2026. Indonesian peacekeepers play crucial roles in providing operational support and ensuring civilian protection in these international efforts.
This visit is timely as Indonesia is actively pursuing a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the 2029–2030 term. The 15-member council bears the responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, which includes authorizing peacekeeping missions and imposing sanctions. Guterres’s visit underscores Indonesia’s strategic importance and its robust history of contributions to global peacekeeping endeavors.